MapInfo Professional User Guide - Product Documentation - MapInfo

MapInfo Professional 

10.5 

USER GUIDE

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United States: 

Phone: 518.285.6000 

Fax: 518.285.6070 

Sales: 800.327.8627 

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Technical Support: 518.285.7283 

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Fax: 416.594.5201 

Sales: 800.268.3282 

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Technical Support Fax: 518.285.6080 

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Europe/United Kingdom: 

Phone: +44.1753.848.200 

Fax: +44.1753.621.140 

Technical Support: +44.1753.848.229 

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Asia Pacific/Australia: 

Phone: +61.2.9437.6255 

Fax: +61.2.9439.1773 

Technical Support: 1.800.648.899 

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June 2010

Table of Contents 

Chapter 1: Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

Mapping at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 

Reviewing the MapInfo Professional Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 

Getting Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 

Using the Status Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 

Using the Help System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 

Getting Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 

Contacting Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 

Tell Us What You Think! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 

Chapter 2: What’s New in MapInfo Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 

Cursors have a new Look . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 

Docking Windows and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 

Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 

Printing to PDF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 

Mapping – New and Enhanced Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 

Table List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 

Adding Map Tile Server Layers and Bing Layers to your Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 

Applying Style Overrides for when Zooming the Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 

Stacking Styles to Customize Map Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 

New Coordinate Systems and Projections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 

Data Access Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 

Data Enhancements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 

New and Existing Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 

Catalog Browser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 

Synchronize Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 

Named Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 

Feature Manipulation Engine (FME) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 

MapCAD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 

Geographic Tracker Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 

New in Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 

Graphing Your Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 

MapInfo Professional 10.5 3 User Guide

Creating a MapInfo_MapCatalog Manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 

Chapter 3: The Basics of MapInfo Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

Starting MapInfo Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 

Exiting MapInfo Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 

A Tour of the MapInfo Professional Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 

Working with Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 

Using Workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 

Understanding Your Data in MapInfo Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 

What is a Layer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 

Map Objects as Part of Layers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 

Managing a Map’s Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 

Working with Tables in the Table List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 

Accessing the Table List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 

About the Context Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 

Selecting Multiple Tables in the Table List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 

Dragging and Dropping in the Table List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 

Sorting in the Table List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 

Searching the Table List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 

Working with Layers in the Layer Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 

Accessing Layer Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 

Adding Layers to the Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 

Reordering Map Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 

Setting the Zoom Layering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 

Positioning and Sizing Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 

Displaying the Lines, Nodes, and Centroids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 

Understanding the Cosmetic Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 

Making the Layers “Editable” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 

Making a Read-Only Table “Editable” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 

Getting Layer Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 

Selecting Objects in a Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 

Working with Thematic Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 

Ordering Thematic Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 

Displaying Thematic Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 

Converting Objects into Region Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 

Working with Raster and Grid Layers in Layer Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 

Converting Grid Files to MapInfo Professional Grids (*.mig) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 

Working with Seamless Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 

Features Available with Seamless Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 

Data – Where MapInfo Professional Begins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 

What is a Database and Other Basic Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 

What Data Can I Use in MapInfo Professional?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 


Support for Raster Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 

Opening MapInfo Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 

Opening Data in Remote Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 

Reviewing the Windows in MapInfo Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 

Displaying Data in a Map Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 

Displaying Data in a Browser Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 

Changing a Record's Data, Font, and Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 

Displaying Data in a Graph Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 

Displaying Data in a Layout Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 

Other Windows for Displaying Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 

Saving, Closing, and Exporting Your Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 

Saving a Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 

Exporting to GeoTIFF (*.tif) Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 

Saving a Table or a Copy of a Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 

Closing a Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 

Opening vs. Importing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 

Exporting Your Data to a New Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 

Importing and Exporting Data in AutoCAD Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 

Cropping Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 

Exporting to ASCII Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 

Exporting to dBase (*.DBF) Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 

Smoothing Map Images during Export. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 

Using the Tools in the Tool Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 

File Format Types Supported. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 

Chapter 4: Understanding Your Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 

Adding to a Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94 

Updating a Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 

Appending Rows to a Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 

Appending One Table to Another. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 

Parsing Data from One Column to Multiple Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 

Placing Graphic Information in Visible Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 

Creating a New Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 

Editing a Table’s Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 

Copying and Renaming a Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 

Deleting a Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 

Packing a Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 

Collecting Data into the Table using Update Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 

Browsing a Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 

Creating a Report of your Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 

Opening an Existing Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 

Saving a Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 


Chapter 5: Graphing Your Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 

Graphing Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 

3D Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 

Area Graphs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 

Bar Graphs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 

Bubble Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 

Column Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 

Histogram Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 

Line Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 

Pie Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 

Scatter Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 

Surface Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 

Graphing Your Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 

Creating a Graph using the Graph Wizard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 

Editing a Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114 

Working with Multi-Table and Multi-Variable Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 

Exploding a Pie Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 

3D Graphs - Using the 3D Viewing Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 

Selections in Graphs and Their Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 

Saving a Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 

Using Graph Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 

Location Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 

Saving a Graph Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 

Chapter 6: Accessing Remote Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 

Supported Databases and Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 

About Linked and Live DBMS Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 

Accessing Data in Remote Spatial Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131 

Storing Coordinate Values in a Remote Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132 

Creating a Spatial Index Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132 

Creating a MapInfo_MapCatalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132 

Making a Remote Table Mappable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134 

Opening a Connection to an ODBC Data Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135 

Opening a Connection to an Oracle Spatial Data Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137 

Opening a Connection to a PostGIS Data Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138 

Opening a Database Table from a Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139 

Refreshing Live and Linked Remote Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 

Unlinking a Table from a Remote Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 

Saving a DBMS Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 

Disconnecting from a Remote Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149 

Working with Styles in DBMS Tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149 


Converting Unsupported Geometries in Oracle, SQL Server SpatialWare, SQL Server 

Spatial, and PostGIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 

Supporting Oracle Spatial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152 

Creating Legends from/for a Live Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154 

Chapter 7: Drawing and Editing Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 

Using the Drawing and Editing Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158 

Adding Nodes to an Object (Overlay Nodes Command) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 

Drawing Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 

Specifying an Object's Geographic Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 

Reverting to a Previous Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161 

Using the Ruler Window as You Draw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161 

Object Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161 

Printing Fill Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 

Drawing Polygons and Polylines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 

Converting a Polyline to a Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164 

Converting Objects into Polyline Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165 

Drawing Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165 

Changing a Symbol Style on a Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166 

Supported Fonts for Symbols. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167 

Working with Custom Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167 

Working with Text on the Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169 

Editing Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170 

Positioning and Sizing your Map Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 

Changing your Map Object Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175 

Reshaping Map Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176 

Using “Snap To” to Select Nodes and Centroids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177 

Setting Snap Preferences for a Visible Snap Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178 

Autotracing Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179 

Smoothing and Unsmoothing Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180 

Converting Regions to Polylines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 

Merging One Map into Another . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 

Chapter 8: Selecting and Querying Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 

Characteristics of Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185 

Selecting from the Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186 

Selecting Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187 

Unselecting Objects or Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192 

Querying Your Data in MapInfo Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193 

Selecting and Using Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194 

Making Queries using the Select Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196 

Making Queries using the SQL Select Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197 


Displaying Query Results Quickly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198 

Creating Query Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198 

Using Select to Create Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201 

Interactively Selecting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203 

Using SQL Select to Query Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204 

Saving Queries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208 

Using Date- and Time-Based Data in Maps and Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209 

Using Templates for Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217 

Deriving Columns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218 

Creating Column Aliases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219 

Aggregating Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219 

Joining Tables Using SQL Select. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221 

Joining Tables Geographically (Using Geographic Operators) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223 

Joining Two or More Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225 

Finding Duplicate Values in a Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226 

Calculating the Distance to a Fixed Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227 

Chapter 9: Creating Thematic Maps, Legends, and Other Maps . . . . . . . . . . . 229 

Using Thematic Mapping to Analyze Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230 

Planning Your Thematic Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231 

Methods of Thematic Mapping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233 

Types of Thematic Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234 

Ranged Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235 

Bar Chart Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237 

Pie Chart Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238 

Graduated Symbol Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239 

Dot Density Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241 

Individual Value Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243 

Grid Surface Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244 

Creating a Thematic Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245 

Step 1: Choosing a Type of Thematic Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245 

Step 2: Choosing Thematic Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247 

Step 3: Customizing Your Thematic Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248 

Thematic Maps as Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250 

Changing the Display Parameters of a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251 

Changing a Map's Proportions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251 

Working with Thematic Maps and Legends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252 

Modifying a Thematic Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252 

Using the Theme Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252 

Saving Your Thematic Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253 

Creating a Theme Legend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .254 

Updating Columns using Thematic Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255 


Adding Temporary Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259 

Working with Legends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260 

Creating a Legend Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260 

What are Cartographic Legends? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261 

Customizing a Thematic Legend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .262 

What are Thematic Legends? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .264 

Working with Grid Surface Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265 

Working with Grid Handlers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266 

Chapter 10: Buffering and Working with Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 

Understanding Buffers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269 

Creating a Buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269 

Buffer Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .274 

Types of Buffers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275 

Editing Objects using the Set Target Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277 

Aggregating and Disaggregating Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .280 

Clipping a Region of a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .280 

Overview of Combining Map Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .281 

Clearing a Target . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .283 

Splitting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .284 

Creating Territories by Combining Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .285 

Combining Selected Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .285 

Combining Objects Using Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .286 

Creating a Voronoi Polygon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .287 

Grouping Objects using Multipoint and Collection Object Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288 

Creating and Manipulating Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288 

Chapter 11: Stylizing Your Map for Presentations and Publishing . . . . . . . . . 289 

Changing a Region’s Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .290 

Changing a Line’s Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .291 

Changing a Symbol’s Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .292 

Changing the Text Style. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .293 

Labeling Your Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .294 

Designing Your Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .295 

Choosing the Label Content. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .295 

Using AutoLabeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .297 

Labeling Interactively . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .303 

Using Text Objects as Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .304 

Saving Labels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .304 

Adding an Adornment to the Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .305 

Adding a Scale Bar to Represent Map Scale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .305 

Working with Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .306 


What is a Layout Window?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .306 

Working in the Layout Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .307 

Before You Create a Layout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .308 

Creating a Layout Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .310 

Using Legends in a Layout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .314 

Moving Frames in a Layout Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315 

Aligning Objects in a Layout Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315 

Setting the Map Scale for a Layout Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .316 

Cloning a Map View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .317 

Creating a Cartographic Legend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .317 

What is a Cartographic Legend? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .317 

Printing and Exporting Your Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .318 

Printing Your Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .318 

Exporting a Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .320 

Save Window As Supports Raster Formats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .321 

Chapter 12: Registering Raster Images. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324 

Determining Map Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .325 

An Introduction to Raster Image Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .325 

Understanding Raster Images in MapInfo Professional. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .326 

Raster Image Format Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .327 

Opening a Raster Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .328 

Registering the Coordinates of a Raster Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .328 

Reprojecting a Raster Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .329 

Transferring Vector Map Coordinates Directly to a Raster Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .330 

Modifying Control Points for Raster Images. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .331 

Adjusting the Contrast or Brightness of a Raster Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333 

Adjusting the Translucency of a Raster Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333 

Printing/Exporting Translucent Raster Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333 

Chapter 13: Putting Your Data on the Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335 

When Do I Geocode vs. Create Points? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .336 

Displaying your Data on a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .336 

Displaying your Excel (.XLS or .XLSX) Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .337 

Displaying your Access (.MDB or .ACCDB) Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .338 

Displaying your Comma Delimited Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .339 

Displaying your dBase Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .340 

Displaying your Lotus 1-2-3 Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .340 

Displaying your ESRI Shapefile Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .340 

Registering and Displaying your ASCII Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .342 

Opening MapInfo Professional Grid Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .343 

Importing Graphic Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .343 


Importing and Displaying GML File Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .344 

Using Universal Data Directly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .344 

Understanding MapInfo Professional’s Use of the Topography Layer. . . . . . . . . . . . .350 

Viewing a List of Open Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .350 

Displaying Data Details using the Statistics Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .351 

Displaying Your Remote DBMS Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .352 

Displaying and Importing Data from a Web Map Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .353 

Geocoding – Assigning Coordinates to Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .353 

What Do I Need to Know Before Geocoding? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .354 

Understanding the Geocoding Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .355 

Modes of Geocoding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356 

Methods of Geocoding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356 

Refining Your Geocoding Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .357 

Finding an Exact Street Match . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .358 

Placing Geocoded Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .359 

Matching Street Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360 

Matching Address Numbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360 

Matching to Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .361 

Selecting Records Not Geocoded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .362 

Locating Newly Geocoded Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .363 

Result Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .363 

Ungeocoding a Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .363 

Putting Latitude/Longitude Coordinates on a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .365 

Dispersing Points Located in the Same Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .365 

Creating Points for Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .366 

Geocoding Data using a Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .366 

Displaying Your Data on the Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .367 

Finding Data on your Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .368 

Printing Your Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .368 

Setting up the Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .368 

Printing Your Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .369 

Viewing and Printing Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .371 

Troubleshooting Print Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .372 

Chapter 14: Working with Coordinate Systems and Projections . . . . . . . . . . . 374 

Displaying Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .375 

Elements of a Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .375 

Understanding Coordinate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .376 

Building Blocks of a Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381 

Coordinate Systems, Projections, and their Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381 

Projection Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .382 

Datums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .385 


Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .386 

Coordinate System Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .386 

Standard Parallels (Conic Projections) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .386 

Oblique Azimuth (Hotine Oblique Mercator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .386 

Scale Factor (Transverse Mercator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .387 

False Easting and False Northing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .387 

Range (Azimuthal Projections). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .387 

About Polyconic Coordinate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .388 

Examples of Projection Entries in the MAPINFOW.PRJ File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .388 

Adding Projections to the MAPINFOW.PRJ File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .389 

Using the New Projection in a Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .391 

Entering a New Coordinate System (Example) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .391 

Understanding Precision in MapInfo Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .392 

What is Precision? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .392 

Understanding Affine Transformations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .392 

Description of an Affine Transformation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .393 

Using Earth and Non-Earth Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .395 

Specifying Coordinates for a Non-Earth Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .396 

Chapter 15: Working with Web Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397 

Accessing Web Services in MapInfo Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .398 

Web Service Authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .398 

Enhancing Map Data using a Web Map Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .399 

How Does MapInfo Professional Use WMS Servers? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .400 

Supported Image Formats for WMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .401 

Understanding WMS Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .401 

Enhancing Map Data using a Web Feature Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .403 

WFS Server Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .404 

Geocoding using a Geocoding Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .406 

What Are MapMarker and Envinsa Geocoding Services? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .407 

Geocoding a Single Address using a Geocoding Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .408 

Understanding the Geocoding Result Codes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .408 

Creating Routing Distance and Time Buffers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410 

How are Time and Distance Buffers Calculated? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .411 

Using Driving Region Buffers to Display Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .412 

Creating Time or Distance Buffers for Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .412 

Accessing Envinsa Online Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .413 

Enhancing Map Data using a Mapping Tile Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .414 

Tile Server Authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .415 

Setting up a Mapping Tile Server Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .415 

Adding a Tile Server Layer to your Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .416 

Adding a Microsoft Bing Layer to a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .417 


Setting Tile Server Layer Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .417 

Chapter 16: Specialized Topics in MapInfo Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419 

What You Should Know First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .420 

Menus and Commands Available While Using the MapInfo Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .421 

Limitations of OLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .421 

Working with Embedded Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .421 

Sharing Documents with Embedded Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .422 

Using MapInfo Tables with Data Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .422 

Internet Connectivity and MapInfo Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .423 

What Are Active Objects? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .423 

HTML Landing Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .424 

Redistricting — Grouping Map Objects into Districts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .425 

What is Redistricting and How Can I Use It? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .425 

Using the Districts Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .427 

Using Redistricting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .427 

Options in Redistricting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .428 

Creating Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .428 

Where Expressions Can Be Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .429 

Constructing Simple Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .429 

Constructing Complex Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .431 

Entering Specific Values (Constants) into Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .431 

Using Mathematical Operators in Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .432 

Using String Operators in Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .433 

Using Comparison Operators in Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .433 

Using Geographic Operators in Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .436 

Using Logical Operators in Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .437 

Understanding Operator Precedence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .439 

Using Functions in Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .440 

Working with the MapBasic Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .440 

Accessing the MapBasic Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .441 

Running a MapBasic Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .442 

Appendix A: Directory of MapInfo Professional Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444 

Shortcuts for Edit Menu Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .445 

Shortcut to Tools Menu Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .445 

Shortcuts to Objects Menu Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .446 

Shortcuts for Query Menu Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .446 

Shortcuts for Options Menu Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .446 

Shortcuts for Map Menu Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .446 

Shortcuts for Window Menu Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .447 

Shortcuts by Keystroke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .447 


Shortcuts for the Map or Layout Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .449 

When the Map or Layout is Active . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .449 

While Drawing a Polyline or Polygon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .450 

When Selecting One or More Objects from the Editable Layer or Layout . . . . . . . . . .450 

Appendix B: Elements of a Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451 

Projection Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .454 

Projection Datums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .456 

Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .464 

Coordinate System Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 

Standard Parallels (Conic Projections) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .466 

Oblique Azimuth (Hotine Oblique Mercator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .466 

Scale Factor (Transverse Mercator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .466 

False Northings and False Eastings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .466 

Range (Azimuthal Projections). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .466 

Polyconic Projection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .467 

Equidistant Cylindrical Projection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .467 

Coordinate System Enhancements by Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .467 

Coordinate System and Datum Additions for MapInfo Professional 10.5 . . . . . . . . . .468 

For More Information on Projections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .472 

Contact Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .473 

Appendix C: Manually Creating a MapInfo_MapCatalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474 

Manually Making a Remote Table Mappable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .476 

Appendix D: MapInfo Map Interchange Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479 

CharSet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .486 

Delimiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .486 

Unique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .487 

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .487 

CoordSys Clause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .487 

Transform Clause. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .488 

Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .489 

Appendix E: Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490 


Introduction 

Welcome to the Pitney Bowes Software Inc. family of products. As the field of 

computer mapping continues to expand, Pitney Bowes Software Inc. leads the 

way with new products that are designed to fulfill users’ computer mapping 

needs from the most basic to the most specialized with MapMarker, our premier 

address matching product. 

MapInfo Professional is a comprehensive computer mapping tool that enables 

you to perform complex geographic analysis such as redistricting, accessing 

your remote data, dragging and dropping map objects into your applications, 

creating thematic maps that emphasize patterns in your data, and much more. 

This User Guide contains all of the information you need to learn about and be 

productive using MapInfo Professional. 

Topics in this Section: 

� What is MapInfo Professional? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 

� Getting Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 

1

What is MapInfo Professional? 

Chapter 1: Introduction 


With MapInfo Professional, the power of computer mapping is at your complete disposal. You can 

display your data as points, as thematically shaded regions, as pie or bar charts, as districts, etc. 

You can perform geographic operations such as redistricting, combining and splitting objects, and 

buffering. You can also make queries against your data and access your remote data directly from 

MapInfo Professional. 

For example, MapInfo Professional can show which branch store is the closest to your biggest 

customers. It can calculate the distances between customers and stores; it can show you the 

customers who spent the most last year; it can color-code the store symbols by sales volume. What 

makes it all come together is a visual display of your data on the map. 

Mapping at a Glance 

Huge quantities of information are available today, far more than ever before. Data abounds in 

spreadsheets, sales records, and marketing files. Paper and disk store masses of information on 

customers, stores, personnel, equipment, and resources. Thematic maps and graphs show 

distribution of customers for a marketing campaign. 

Figure: Thematic Map Example 

Nearly all data has a geographic component. An estimated 85 percent of all databases contain some 

sort of geographic information such as street addresses, cities, states, postal codes, or even 

telephone numbers with area codes and exchange numbers. 

Computer mapping can help you sort through all of this information, and using the geographic 

components in your data, display your results on a map. This lets you see patterns and relationships 

in the mass of information quickly and easily without having to pore over your database. 


Windows Compatibility 



MapInfo Professional is Windows XP Professional and Windows XP compatible, so you will feel right 

at home with its windowing environment. It is designed to fit smoothly into your work environment, so 

it only changes the results you get, not the way you work. 

Using Your Own Data 

To begin with, you can use the data you already have, in the form it’s already in — spreadsheets 

such as Excel, databases such as Access, popular CAD packages, and other GIS applications, to 

name just a few. If your data is on a remote database, you can access it directly from MapInfo 

Professional. If you have data that is not already online, you can create database files right inside 

the product, or use data supplied by Pitney Bowes Software Inc. — such as census data. 

Similarly, you can use any of thousands of maps available from Pitney Bowes Software Inc., 

everything from street and highway maps to world maps. You can also create your own maps, either 

in MapInfo Professional or with a drawing package. You can diagram anything — floor plans, flow 

charts, even brain anatomy — can be treated as a map and entered into the product. 

After you’ve organized your data visually, you’ll save the results to files, or send them to any of the 

dozens of printers and plotters MapInfo Professional recognizes. 

If you have your data on hand and you can read a map, you’re just about ready to begin. Soon, we’ll 

show you an example of how easy it is to put MapInfo Professional’s power to work for you. 

But first, install MapInfo Professional following the instructions in the MapInfo Professional Install 

Guide. If you are new to the product, or new to computer mapping, we suggest you refer to The 

Basics of MapInfo Professional on page 34 for an overview of basic mapping terms and 

concepts. Use the web-enabled tutorial to learn about its features, and become accustomed to the 

more common tasks and functions. 

For more product and service information, you can connect directly from MapInfo Professional to our 

forum (on the Help menu, click MapInfo on the Web), or, consult our World Wide Web site 

(www.pbinsight.com). 

Reviewing the MapInfo Professional Features 

MapInfo Professional gives you the processing power of databases (including powerful SQL 

queries) and the visual power of maps, plus charts and graphs. It’s an essential business tool for 

data analysis, sales, and presentations. 

Here is a look at some of the features MapInfo Professional offers: 

• Direct opening of files created with dBASE or FoxBASE, delimited ASCII, comma delimited CSV 

files, ESRI ® shapefiles, Lotus 1–2–3, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Access; importing of 

graphics files in a variety of formats; a function for creating database files from within the 

product. 

• Multiple views of your data in Map, Browser, and Graph windows. Hot Views allow you to open 

multiple views of the same data and update them when you change any one view. 

• Live ODBC access to remote database data such as Oracle and SQL Server. 

• Seamless map layers that allow you to handle several map layers as if they were one layer. 

• Cartographic legends, enabling you to create and customize legends for any map layer. 




• Thematic maps to create analyses of your data with high visual impact, including grid surface 

themes, 3DMaps, and Prism maps. 

• Use raster underlay capabilities to enhance your work session. 

• Querying capabilities ranging from simple data selections from a single file to complex SQL 

queries from one or more files. 

• Workspaces that save all your settings and views so you can start where you left off. 

• HotLinks that let you launch files or URLs directly from a Map window. 

• OLE embedding of Map windows into other applications. 

• A comprehensive array of drawing and editing tools for customizing your maps. 

• Thousands of ready-made maps and functions for creating your own maps. 

• Crystal Reports, the industry-standard report-writing program, allows you to create reports of 

your tabular data directly in the product. 

• A layout window for preparing output. 

• Printing and export capabilities for high-quality output 

• The ability to change the projection of your map for display or digitizing. 

• Object processing functions that help to correct errors in data, set node snap tolerances for 

different objects, as well as thin nodes and polygons. 

When it’s time to run MapInfo Professional, you’ll feel right at home with its windowing environment. 

After you’ve organized your data visually, you’ll save the results to files, or send them to your printer 

or plotter. 

For tips to help you succeed in using MapInfo Professional, see Ensuring Your Success in the Help 

System. 

MapInfo Professional Documentation Set 

The MapInfo Professional User Guide contains a subset of the information found in the MapInfo 

Professional online help system. If you cannot find the information you are looking for, refer to the 

online help system, which is installed with the product. 

Accessing MapInfo Professional Documentation 

You can access the MapInfo Professional files in the Documentation subfolder located in your 

installation directory. You can read these files using Adobe® Acrobat Reader, which is available on 

the installation DVD or by going to the Adobe web site: 

http://get.adobe.com/reader/ 

Obtaining the User Guide in Hard Copy 

To obtain a printed copy of the MapInfo Professional User Guide, see the instructions on the 

postcard provided in your MapInfo Professional box or go to our website at 

http://go.pbinsight.com/prodocs 


Getting Support 


Getting Support 

Here at Pitney Bowes Software Inc., we are committed to your success and we provide a wide range 

of support to assist you in getting the results you are working toward. 

• Using the Status Bar 

• Using the Help System 

• Getting Technical Support 

• Tell Us What You Think! 

MapBasic Available Free of Charge on the Web 

The MapBasic development environment is a free download available from www.pbinsight.com. 

To get your copy, go to www.pbinsight.com/mapbasic. There is also information there about 

building custom applications and integrating MapInfo Professional into your application using the 

MapBasic development environment. For additional SDK development environments, go to 

www.pbinsight.com/mapxtreme. 

To obtain your free copy of MapBasic and access other resources to enhance your use of MapInfo 

Professional, you need to register on the Pitney Bowes Software Inc. site before accessing this 

download page. 

Using the Status Bar 

The Status Bar along the lower edge of your window provides helpful information during your 

mapping session and allows you to make some changes directly in the Status Bar. On the Options 

menu, click Show/Hide Status Bar to control the display of the Status Bar. 

� Not all entries display in the Status Bar at all times. Entries display when a feature is active. 

• Status Bar Help: For instantaneous answers to “What does that command do” simply move the 

cursor over the command. A brief description of the command displays in the left pane of the 

Status Bar along the lower edge of your screen. 

• Zoom, Map Scale, Cursor Location: View any one of these settings in the Status Bar. You can 

change which one displays directly from the Status Bar. Click the arrow on the right side of the 

box to display a popup list of the three options. Click the setting you want to display. The Status 

Bar automatically updates. These display settings are also controlled in the Map Options dialog 

box (on the Map menu, click Options). 

• Editable Layers: To keep track of which layer is currently editable, review the list of layers that 

display in the Status Bar. You can change the editable layer directly in the Status Bar. Click the 

arrow to the right of the box to display a popup list of the layers in the Map window. Click the 

layer you want to make editable. The Status Bar automatically updates, showing the new 

editable layer. 

• Selectable Layers: The Status Bar indicates which layer the current selection is from. If there is 

nothing selected, the Status Bar reads: “Selecting: NONE.” 

• Browser window Records: When viewing a table in a Browser, the record count displays in the 

Status Bar. 

• Snap-to-Node: This S-key toggle feature is in use when SNAP displays in the Status Bar. 



Getting Technical Support 

• Autotrace indicator: This T-key feature is in use when AUTOTRACE displays in the Status Bar. 

• Autonode indicator: This N-key feature is in use when AUTONODE displays in the Status Bar. 

Using the Help System 

MapInfo Professional’s comprehensive Online Help system provides the information you need to 

learn and use the product more effectively. You can reach the information in several ways: 

• Use the Help Contents screen to choose topics from “books”. Click a book to display its topics, 

choose a topic from the list. 

• Use the Search feature to search on a specific word. Type the word you want to search for in the 

first field, select the matching word in the second, and then the topic in the third box. MapInfo 

Professional displays the topic in the pane on the right. 

• Use the Index feature to find a topic quickly. Type the first few letters of the word you are looking 

for. The index entry that most closely matches your entry is highlighted. Click the index entry you 

want to display. 

• Use the Favorites tab to collect and store topics you want to refer to frequently. 

• Context-Sensitive Feature: Press the F1 key to receive more information on any menu command 

or dialog box. The Help window for that item displays. Also click the Help button in the MapInfo 

Professional dialogs to display information on the current dialog box. 

• Quick Access to the publications web site: Click the underlined Pitney Bowes Software Inc. 

name at the bottom of each topic page to go to the Pitney Bowes Software Inc. web site. From 

here you have access to product information, upcoming events, tech tips, and a complete set of 

documentation. 


Pitney Bowes Software Inc. offers a free support period on all new software purchases and 

upgrades, so you can be productive from the start. Once the free period ends, Pitney Bowes 

Software Inc. offers a broad selection of extended support services for individual, business, and 

corporate users. 

Technical Support is here to help you, and your call is important. This section lists the information 

you need to provide when you call your local support center. It also explains some of the technical 

support procedures so that you will know what to expect about the handling and resolution of your 

particular issue. 

Please remember to include your serial number, partner number or contract number when 

contacting Technical Support. 

Contacting Technical Support 

Full technical support for MapInfo Professional is provided for the currently shipping version plus the 

two previous versions. 

To use Technical Support, you must register your product. This can be done very easily during 

installation or anytime during normal business hours by contacting Customer Service directly. 


Technical Support Contact Information 



Extended support options are available at each of our technical support centers in the Americas, 

Europe/Middle East/Africa, and Asia-Pacific regions. To contact the office nearest you, refer to the 

Support > Contact Support section on our website: 

http://www.pbinsight.com/support/contact-support/ 

Technical Support Online Case Management System 

The Technical Support Online Case Management system is another way to log and manage cases 

with our Technical Support center. You must register yourself the first time you access this site if you 

do not already have a user ID. 

http://go.pbinsight.com/online-case-management 

Tell Us What You Think! 

Want to give MapInfo Professional Engineers feedback? We have an option in the Help menu 

for you to provide direct product feedback to Pitney Bowes Software Inc.. If you have a need for a 

new feature, or you need our product to do something it doesn’t currently do, use this feature to write 

to us. Whether you want to complain or complement, let us know so we can meet your MapInfo 

Professional needs better. 

To send us feedback: 

• Choose Help > Send Product Improvement Suggestions to display the customer 

feedback form. 

Our team of Product Managers and Engineers will collect your feedback and consider your request 

in a future release of MapInfo Professional. You will be able to track the activity on your suggestions 

through different statuses and maintain a list of your ideas or suggestions. Your suggestions will be 

grouped with other similar ideas to help us build a list of new features and workflows for the 

application. You may be invited to give your feedback on the scoping and implementation of these 

suggestions and participate in surveys that help us narrow down the priority of the features we are 

working on. 

Our goal is to ensure that MapInfo Professional stays on the forefront of your needs and product 

requirements. Help us do that important work for you! 


What’s New in MapInfo 

Professional 

Thank you for upgrading to the most advanced computer mapping product in 

the Pitney Bowes Software Inc. software family! As the field of computer 

mapping continues to expand, Pitney Bowes Software Inc. leads the way with 

new products that are designed to fulfill your computer mapping needs from the 

most basic to the most specialized. 

For more information about the bug fixes and corrections we have made to 

MapInfo Professional in this release, you will soon be able to review the release 

notes at: 

http://go.pbinsight.com/prodocs 


� New Major Features in MapInfo Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 

� Mapping – New and Enhanced Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 

� Data Access Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 

� Data Enhancements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 

� New and Existing Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 

� New in Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 

2

New Major Features in MapInfo Professional 

Cursors have a new Look 

Chapter 2: What’s New in MapInfo Professional 


Cursors have been updated to have an improved look. Their behaviors have not changed only how 

they look has changed. Look for this improvement when working with MapInfo Professional. 

Cursor updates include: 

• Using a tool within MapInfo Professional, such as zoom, select, or add object. 

• Dragging layers within the layer control. 

• The updated crosshair cursor is now larger and more visible than the previous version. 

• MapBasic applications that create their own toolbar for a Toolbutton with a built-in cursor. For 

example: 

Create ButtonPad As Toolbutton Cursor 

� There is no change to behavior of custom cursors from external resource files. 

Cursor File 

For MapBasic, the cursor definitions in icons.def have been updated to contain a list of the valid 

cursor numbers. 

Docking Windows and Tools 

You can dock windows, such as the Layer Control and Table List, and some tools, such as Named 

Views and Catalog Browser, to the sides (top, bottom, left, and right) of MapInfo Professional. 

When docked, windows can share the same space—you may dock multiple windows to the same 

side of the screen. 

To dock a window or a tool: 

• Click on the window’s or tool’s title bar and drag the mouse over one of the visual cues (arrows) 

to dock it to a side of the application. If visual cues are turned off, drag it to one of the sides of the 

application. 

The windows and tools are in a fixed position when they are docked. When windows and tools are 

not docked, they are floating and can be moved anywhere in the application. 

Changing from dock state to a floating state: 

• Click the window’s or tool’s title bar and drag it away from the area. The window or tool is 

restored to its previous size. 




There are visual cues, arrows, that display by default to help you when docking a window or a tool. 

Drag the window or tool to one of the arrows to dock it at that location. 

To enable or disable the visual cues for docking windows or tools: 

• Select Options > Preferences > System Settings and then select the Show Guides when 

Docking Windows check box. 

Printing 

Printing to an Offscreen Bitmap 

The Advanced Printing Options dialog box (select File > Print and click Advanced) includes a new 

output method in addition to Print Directly to Device and Print using Enhanced Metafile (EMF). 

This can be useful to control transparency and color, particularly for raster images: 

Print using Offscreen Bitmap (OSBM) 

This printing process generates an Offscreen bitmap of your MapInfo Professional image 

before sending it to the printer. Offscreen bitmap is invoked depending upon the type of 

translucent content in the map and enhanced rendering state of the window. However, 

setting OSBM from this window means that while printing Offscreen bitmaps (OSBM) will be 

selected regardless of the translucency and anti alias settings. 

Setting Print to an Offscreen Bitmap as your Default 

You can set this option as a default by selecting Options > Preferences > Output and then 

selecting Print using Offscreen Bitmap (OSBM) under the Printing tab. This preference sets the 

default for all new windows. 

Subdivide Printing 

In earlier versions of MapInfo Professional, there was an optional registry setting, called 

SubdividePrinting, to allow print jobs to be broken into multiple, smaller print requests. This is 

especially useful if printing large raster/translucent maps to large paper sizes. Now that option has 

been added as a Preference. The preference is initialized using the registry setting if it existed. You 

will find this option in Options > Preferences > Output Settings under the Printing tab. There is a 

check box for Subdivide Printing. If checked, the print job will be broken into multiple smaller print 

request. If unchecked, the print is done in a single request. 

Polygon Mode Printing 

In earlier versions of MapInfo Professional, there was an optional registry setting, called 

PolygonMode, that controlled how polygons (regions) are rendered. For many years, MapInfo 

Professional has done some special processing when rendering polygons. This can include 

breaking the polygons into smaller, simpler sections to make the rendering code deal with less 

complex data. The end result (visual appearance) should be the same, regardless of which method 

is used to draw the regions. If Polygon Mode is not set, then the old rendering with special 

processing is done. If Polygon Mode is set, the new rendering that draws the object as a single 

request with all nodes is done. In certain circumstances printing to PDF files would produce extra 




hairlines in the output if Polygon Mode is turned off. But, users have also reported PDF files getting 

large and being slow to produce when PolygonMode is on. So the general recommendation is to 

turn on Polygon Mode if you see extra hairlines in PDF files. 

Polygon Mode may be set for each of three types of drawing: on-screen, printing and exporting. 

Select the Polygon Mode check box from the Options > Preferences > Output Settings menu 

under the Display tab, Printing tab, and Exporting tab. 

Printing to PDF 

The MapInfo PDF Printer has been updated to a new version for 10.5. MapInfo Professional lets you 

save a map to a layered PDF file. Since Acrobat 6.0, PDFs are capable of holding multiple pages of 

information in the same space through the use of Optional Content Groups (OCG), which are more 

commonly known as layers. Layers in PDFs are very similar to MapInfo Professional map layers. 

Your PDF now displays layers in the same order as shown in the MapInfo Professional Layer 

Control window, and it displays translucency. The MapInfo PDF Printer supports GeoRegistration, 

which stores the bounds and coordinate systems of the map view in the PDF file. The PDF file also 

stores the attribute data of the records on the map. 

New in this release when saving to a PDF file: 

• Print to PDF – Select File > Print to PDF to save your map, browser, graph, or layout to a PDF 

file. This option is similar to Save As, and gives you the option to concatenate PDF files. 

• MapInfo PDF Printer tool – The Main menu includes a new MapInfo PDF Printer tool, 

• 

which is the same as selecting File > Print to PDF to save your map, browser, graph, or layout 

to a PDF file. 

Translucency – You can create a layered PDF that includes translucent layers in MapInfo 

Professional 10.5. 

• PDF Preferences – The MapInfo Professional Print dialog (select File > Print) now includes a 

PDF button that displays after selecting MapInfo PDF Printer from the Name list. This button 

launches the PDF Preferences dialog. From this dialog, you can make the following settings: 

Layered PDF 

Select to save layers for a map, as shown in the MapInfo Professional Layer Control window, 

to the PDF file. When saving a layout window, each frame, such as map frame and legend 

frame, becomes a layer in the PDF. 

Georegistered PDF 

Select to store the bounds and coordinate systems of the map or layout view in the PDF file. 

Add Attribute data to PDF 

Select to store the attribute data of the records on the map in the PDF file. 


Automatically open the PDF 

Select to have the PDF file open after it is generated. 


Mapping – New and Enhanced Features 

Selecting the Layered PDF option in the PDF Preferences dialog box enables the Direct to 

Device option, and disables using OSBM and EMF. 

If you select the Print using EMF and Print using the Offscreen Bitmap (OBSM) output method 

and later on select the Layered PDF from the PDF Preferences dialog box, then the output 

method forcibly sets to Direct to Device. However, disabling the Layered PDF option resets the 

print output method back to your original selection, EMF/OSBM. 

• Context Sensitive Help for the MapInfo PDF Printer – This version of the MapInfo PDF Printer 

includes documentation in the form of a help system. To access this help system, select File > 

Print and click Properties in the Print dialog box. This opens the MapInfo PDF Printer 

Properties dialog box, which now includes a Help button on each tab. 


Table List 

The Table List window lets you perform operations for open tables in MapInfo Professional using 

fewer clicks. You can organize tables into groups and sort them alphabetically and recently opened 

first. It is now easier to manage maps that have multiple tables open at the same time. It is 

accessible from the Table > Table List menu. 

For more information about the Table List and how to work with it, see Working with Tables in the 

Table List on page 45. 

Adding Map Tile Server Layers and Bing Layers to your Maps 

A tile server is a server that contains a collection of raster tile images. The tiles cover a given place 

on the earth. Tiles are organized in a row/column grid fashion. There are also multiple levels of tiles. 

Each level represents a different resolution of data, covering the same place on the earth. The level 

determines the number of tiles (number of rows and columns). As you zoom in or out, the level of 

data may change. As you pan around, the specific tiles that are needed may change. 

MapInfo Professional lets you use tile server data within the product. If you add a tile server layer to 

a MapInfo Professional map, then the application takes care of fetching the appropriate tiles from the 

server and displaying them. You only need to add the tile server layer and then pan/zoom. 

For information about map tile server setup, see Enhancing Map Data using a Mapping Tile 

Server on page 414. 

With a single click, you can easily add either a Microsoft Bing Aerial or Microsoft Bing Hybrid layer to 

a map. You do not need to open the Bing table prior to adding it to the map. If the current window is 

a map, MapInfo Professional adds the Bing layer to it. If the current window is not a map or there are 

no windows open, then MapInfo Professional creates a new map with the Bing layer. For 

instructions, see Adding a Microsoft Bing Layer to a Map on page 417. 


Applying Style Overrides for when Zooming the Map 



At different zoom levels information on the map may be difficult to view. Changing (overriding) the 

display style for specific zoom levels can help. As an example, to make the map easier to read, you 

may want roadways to display using a thick line when zoomed in to the map, but a very thin line 

when zoomed out of the map. For similar reasons you may want to change the label style for specific 

zoom levels, to have labels stand out and read more clearly. 

Right-clicking on a layer name in the Layer Control list and clicking the Add Display Override option 

creates a display override for that layer. Clicking the Add Label Override option creates a label 

override for that layer. The first override defaults to the zoom range of the layer. Adding subsequent 

overrides splits the zoom range of the first override. You can then customize the style for the layer at 

each specific zoom level. 

For more information, see the following topics in the Help System: 

• Setting Different Styles for Different Zoom Levels 

• Setting Different Label Styles for Different Zoom Levels 

• Changing Override Style Properties already set for Different Zoom Levels 

• Splitting an Override Property 

• Removing an Override Property 

• Drag and Drop an Override to a Different Layer 

Stacking Styles to Customize Map Features 

Stacked styles are new to MapInfo Professional 10.5. A stacked style is a list of styles drawn on top 

of each other to create a more complex or interesting looking map feature. Stacked styles can be 

created for points, polylines, and polygon features. This is especially useful for polyline styles. 

Figure 1 shows a sample line using one of MapInfo's interleaved line styles. Figure 2 shows the 

same sample using a stacked line style. 

Figure: Figure 1: Figure: Figure 2: 

Stacked styles create more meaningful display styles for your application without having to add your 

data as multiple layers in a map. You can define as many styles in a stacked style as you want. 

However, the more styles you define the more you will impact the map's rendering performance. 

Typically, most cartographic maps would use two or three styles in a stacked style to draw features. 



Data Access Features 

For more information about using stacked styles, see the following topic in the Help System: 

• Stacking Styles for a Layer 

New Coordinate Systems and Projections 

There are enhancements for European, French, Australian, Finnish, United States, Slovenian and 

Zambian coordinate systems. For a detailed list of enhancements, see Coordinate System and 

Datum Additions for MapInfo Professional 10.5 on page 468. 

Equidistant Cylindrical Projection 

The Equidistant Cylindrical projection (also called the Equirectangular projection, geographic 

projection, Plate Carrée or Carte Parallelogrammatique projection or CPP) is a very simple map 

projection attributed to Marinus of Tyre, who Ptolemy claims invented the projection about 100 AD. 

The projection maps meridians to equally spaced vertical straight lines, and circles of latitude to 

evenly spread horizontal straight lines. The projection is neither equal area nor conformal. Because 

of the distortions introduced by this projection, it has little use in navigation or cadastral mapping and 

finds its main use in thematic mapping. In particular, the Plate Carrée used often in computer 

applications that process global maps, because of the particularly simple relationship between the 

position of an image pixel on the map and its corresponding geographic location on Earth. 

The Plate Carrée (French, for "flat square"), is the special case where standard parallel is zero. 

Projection Name 

The following examples are of PRJ entries for Plate Carrée and Equidistant Cylindrical projection 

centered at 46.5 degree Standard Parallel (used in France): 

"Plate Carree WGS84", 33, 104, 7, 0, 0, 0, 0 

"Equidistant Cylindrical 46.5 Degree WGS84", 33, 104, 7, 0, 46.5, 0, 0 

Data Access Features 

Projection Type 

Datum 

MapInfo Professional now supports: 

Units 

Origin, Longitude 

Equidistant Cylindrical 33 X X X X X X 

• PostgreSQL 8.3 with PostGIS 1.3 

PostGIS extends a PostgreSQL database to support spatial data (geographic objects). PostGIS 

follows the OpenGIS Simple Features Specification for SQL. 

MapInfo Professional 10.5 28 User Guide 

Origin, Latitude 

Standard Parallel 1 


Azimuth 

Scale Factor 

False Easting 

False Northing 

Range


Data Enhancements 

For details about working with PostGIS and other databases, see Chapter 6: Accessing Remote 

Data. 

Data Enhancements 

For this release of MapInfo Professional, we have updated the sample data to include database files 

for Microsoft Office 2007 Access (.ACCDB) and Excel (.XLSX). 

See the MapInfo Professional Data Directory document on the MapInfo Professional DVD for a 

description of the sample data supplied with this product. 

New and Existing Tools 

Catalog Browser 

The Catalog Browser is a tool in MapInfo Professional that allows you to locate descriptive 

information about spatial and non-spatial datasets. This information is often referred to as metadata. 

Metadata describes information about the data, such as its title, creation/modified date, coordinate 

reference system and location. 

Metadata is stored in a catalog as individual records for each dataset. Organizations, particularly 

those in the public sector, make their catalogs known to others to describe and advertise the 

availability of their spatial datasets. The Catalog Browser enables you to see what data is available 

and how to get it. 

The Catalog Browser can search any available CSW-compliant catalog. Note that some catalog 

capabilities are limited by the organization who owns the catalog, such as the ability to edit metadata 

and access datasets for free. Information from the owner organization is provided in the metadata 

for each record. 

You can search and view metadata records with the Catalog Browser. In the future, a CSWcompliant 

Catalog service and catalog from Pitney Bowes Business Insight will be available as a 

separate purchase that support enhanced operations, such as records management and harvesting. 

For how to work with the Catalog Browser, see the Catalog Browser User Guide, which is the 

Catalog Browser’s help system. 

The Catalog Browser autoloads. In MapInfo Professional click the Search CSW Catalog tool 

or File > Open Web Services > Search CSW Catalogs. 

Information about the Catalog Browser is in the MapInfo Professional Help System. 


Synchronize Windows 



The Synchronize (Sync) Windows tool gives you access to tool bar buttons that allow you to control 

what displays on selected, open Map windows. This tool allows you to automate common MapInfo 

Professional tasks and creates a way to control the addition and removal of embedded legends. The 

Sync Windows tool allows you to automatically share changes made in one mapper window to all 

other open Map windows in a given MapInfo Professional session. 

Now you can dock the Sync Windows toolbar along the sides of the MapInfo Professional window. 

New on this toolbar is the Instant Sync Windows button, which provides a way to enable/disable 

the synchronization of multiple map windows. 

To use the Sync All Map Windows, add the Sync Windows tool to the Tool Manager list: 

1. On the Tools menu, click Tool Manager to display the Tool Manager dialog box. 

2. Scroll through the list of tools to find Sync Windows and then select the Loaded check box. 

Selecting the Autoload check box loads this tool every time MapInfo Professional starts. 

3. Click OK. 

The Sync Windows toolbar displays and a new option is available from the Tools menu: Tools > 

Sync Windows. 

Figure: Sync Windows Toolbar 

1 Clone Map Window, 2 Rename Current Window, 3 Tile Windows 

4 Sync All Map Windows, 5 Instant Sync Windows, 6 Create a Symbol on All 

Cosmetic Layers, 7 Create a Polyline on All Cosmetic Layers, 8 Create a Rectangle on 

All Cosmetic Layers 9 Create an Ellipse on All Cosmetic Layers, 10 Clear All Cosmetic 

Layers 

Named Views 

1 2 3 4 5 

6 7 8 9 10 

The Named Views tool saves a map’s view, position and zoom settings, so you can return to them 

as needed. This is useful if there is a neighborhood or other area you need to refer to frequently. The 

Named Views window is dockable. 

You can use other user's list of views by copying the NViews.XML file to the following location: 


%APPDATA%\MapInfo\MapInfo\nviews.xml 



� If you overwrite your Nviews.XML file with that of another user, you will lose your existing 

views information. To retain your existing views, keep a copy of your Nviews.xml file and 

restore it at the same location, when required. 

� If you want to use views created in MapInfo Professional 10.0, copy the Nviews.XML file from 

%APPDATA%\MapInfo\MapInfo\Professional\1000\nviews.xml to the new location 

%APPDATA%\MapInfo\MapInfo\nviews.xml 

To create a named view: 

1. Display the map at the exact position and zoom level you want to return to. 

2. Select Tools > Named Views > Named Views to display the Named Views dialog box. 

3. Click Add and type a description of the current map view. Click Add to save your description. 

� Views you create with the Named Views tool are global and are saved independently of the 

workspaces and tables they are associated with. If you delete the list of views, you delete 

these views. 

Feature Manipulation Engine (FME) 

This release updates the Feature Manipulation Engine (FME) tool to a new version. The FME opens 

a variety of Universal Data formats. For a complete list, see Using Universal Data Directly on 

page 344. 

FME now supports Google Earth KML ® files in MapInfo Professional 10.5. The SQL Server support 

has been turned off. For full SQL Server 2008 read and write support, open SQL Server tables using 

ODBC via MapInfo Professional. 

� You cannot open a SQL Server table through Open Universal Data. If you open an existing 

table or workspace that references a SQL Server database, then an error message displays. 

To access the FME to open universal data directly in MapInfo Professional, choose File > Open 

Universal Data. For details, see Opening Universal Data Directly on page 345. 

MapCAD 

This release updates the MapCAD tool to a new version. This product provides tools that work with 

MapInfo Professional to create maps that are appropriate for land development and surveying tasks. 

The MapCAD tool includes a new look for icons, improved processing time, and you can now dock it 

along the sides of the MapInfo Professional window. 



New in Documentation 

The MapCAD tool installs automatically with MapInfo Professional to a subfolder called MapCAD. To 

access MapCAD drawing and editing tools and toolbars, from the MapInfo Professional Tools 

menu, select Tool Manager > MapCAD. The manufacturer provides a full help system to assist you 

in using this product. For support, contact MapCAD Incorporated directly. Their web site is: 

http://www.geoas.de 

Geographic Tracker Tool 

This release updates the global positioning software (GPS) GeoTracker tool to a new version. This 

tool (from Blue Marble Geographics) integrates a Geographic Positioning Systems (GPS) with 

MapInfo Professional. It is a free utility available as a separate download from the MapInfo 

Professional DVD. 

Blue Marble Geographics has upgraded this tool to with new look and feel and improved 

performance. The Geographic Tracker supports streaming of live GPS position data, playback of 

recorded GPS log files and transfer of spatial data both to and from various GPS units. Geographic 

Tracker reads GPS information from a GPS receiver, decodes the information into component parts 

such as Latitude, Longitude, Time, Speed, Heading, etc., and displays the information in an intuitive 

and useful user interface. Users can also save or view GPS log files through Geographic Tracker's 

interface. 

This tool is available as a separate download from the MapInfo Professional DVD: click Install 

Products, click Free Utilities, and then click Install GPS Support. For detailed installation 

instructions, refer to the MapInfo Professional Install Guide. 


Graphing Your Data 

Additional information about the MapInfo Professional graphing feature is available in a new chapter 

titled Graphing Your Data on page 108. The graphing feature in MapInfo Professional lets you 

create a myriad of different graphs from three-dimensional bar graphs to exploded pie graphs. Each 

type of graph has its own set of features that you can customize to emphasize a particular piece of 

information, or create the aesthetic look you want for your graph. These features, plus additional 

formatting options, give you full control over the look and content of the graph. 

This new chapter provides additional information to help you determine the type of graph to select. 

Creating a MapInfo_MapCatalog Manually 

A new chapter Manually Creating a MapInfo_MapCatalog on page 474 provides instructions on 

how to manually creating a MapInfo Map Catalog and making a remote table mappable, two 

procedures that are necessary for geocoding remote tables. This information is designed for users 

who do not have access to MapInfo Professional. 

MapInfo Professional users would create a MapInfo Map Catalog automatically. 

• Creating a MapInfo_MapCatalog Automatically 


• Making a Remote Table Mappable 



You or your database administrator must create one MapInfo Map Catalog for each database you 

wish to access in MapInfo Professional. 


The Basics of MapInfo 

Professional 

Now that you have installed MapInfo Professional, you are probably anxious to 

get mapping. But, if you are new to MapInfo Professional, take a few minutes to 

read this chapter to familiarize yourself with the concepts, components, and 

tools for successful computer mapping. 


� Starting and Leaving MapInfo Professional. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 

� A Tour of the MapInfo Professional Desktop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 

� Understanding Your Data in MapInfo Professional. . . . . . . . . . . .43 

� Working with Tables in the Table List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 

� Working with Layers in the Layer Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 

� Working with Thematic Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 

� Working with Seamless Layers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 

� Data – Where MapInfo Professional Begins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 

� Reviewing the Windows in MapInfo Professional. . . . . . . . . . . . .77 

� Saving, Closing, and Exporting Your Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 

� Using the Tools in the Tool Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 

� File Format Types Supported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 

3

Starting and Leaving MapInfo Professional 

Chapter 3: The Basics of MapInfo Professional 

Starting and Leaving MapInfo Professional 

In this section we cover the very basics of starting MapInfo Professional, using the STARTUP.WOR, 

and exiting the program. Since opening a table is basic to getting started in using MapInfo 

Professional, we cover that topic here, as well. 

Starting MapInfo Professional 

To start MapInfo Professional: 

• Do one of the following: 

• Double-click the MapInfo Professional icon on your desktop. In a few seconds, MapInfo 

Professional’s Quick Start dialog box displays. 

• From the Start menu, select MapInfo Professional 10.5 from the Selected Program folder. 

Using either method the Quick Start dialog box displays. 

Here you can choose how you want to start your mapping session. The Quick Start dialog box 

displays every time you start MapInfo Professional, but you can change this behavior in the 

Startup preferences (On the Options menu, point to Preferences and click Startup) using 

instructions in Setting the Startup Preferences in the MapInfo Professional Help System. In the 

Startup Preferences dialog box, clear the Display Quick Start dialog box to deactivate the display 

of the Quick Start dialog box. 

If you are returning to MapInfo Professional, you can return to the previous mapping session by 

choosing Restore Previous Session or use last workspace. If this is your first look at MapInfo 

Professional, choose the Open a Table option to begin. The Open dialog box displays. 

Exiting MapInfo Professional 

To leave MapInfo Professional: 

• On the File menu, click Exit. There is no confirmation message. 

CAUTION: If you made changes to a table and did not save them a prompt appears asking 

you if you want to save the changes. Unless you choose Save, the changes are 

lost. 

• For more information, see Leaving MapInfo Professional using the MAPINFOW.WOR 

Workspace in the Help System. 


A Tour of the MapInfo Professional Desktop 



This section details the tools and commands that are available to you in the MapInfo Professional 

product. You may refer to these frequently as you familiarize yourself with MapInfo Professional. 

Working with Toolbars 

MapInfo Professional provides toolbars of tool buttons and commands to give you tremendous 

mapping creativity at the click of a button. 

To reshape the toolbars, click and drag on their borders. Drag the title bar to move them. To dock a 

toolbar, drag it to one of the edges of the application window. The toolbar changes shape and 

positions as it docks itself. You can easily change it back to the floating view by clicking the 

background area of the toolbar and dragging it away from its position. The toolbar retains the same 

shape as it had before you docked it. 

Displaying or Hiding Toolbars 

To show or hide toolbars: 

1. Choose Options > Toolbars. 

2. Show a toolbar by checking its check box or clear its check box to hide a toolbar. 

3. Click Close. The toolbars display or disappear from your screen. 

Reviewing the Standard Toolbar 

The Standard toolbar contains tools for commonly performed menu functions from the File, Edit, and 

Window menus. It also contains tools for quick access to a Redistricting window and online Help. 

Many of these tools are familiar to you from working with Microsoft Windows. 

New Table Help 

Open Workspace Open 

Bing Aerial Save Table 

Bing Hybrid Close All 

Save Workspace Print Window 


Save Window Cut 

Print To PDF Paste 

Copy New Browser 

Reviewing the Main Toolbar 



Undo New Grapher Window 

New Mapper Window New Redistricter Window 

New Layout Window 

The Main toolbar contains buttons for selecting objects, changing the view of the Map window, 

getting information about an object, and showing distances between objects. It also contains buttons 

that allow you to change layer attributes and open the Legend or Statistics window. 

Select Accesses the Select tool to select objects/records in a Map, Layout, or 

Browser window. Also acts as the default pointer/cursor tool. 

Marquee 

Select 

Accesses the Marquee Select tool so you can select and search for 

map objects within a given rectangle (marquee box). 

Radius Select Accesses the Radius Select tool so you can select and search for map 

objects within a circular region. 

Polygon Select Accesses the Polygon Select tool so you can select objects within a 

polygon. 

Boundary 

Select 

Accesses the Boundary Select tool so you can select and searches 

for map objects within a given region. 

Unselect All Accesses the Unselect All tool so you can clear all of your object and 

record selections. Performs the same operation as Unselect All. 

Invert 

Selection 

Selects all objects or records not included in the current selection, and 

cancels the current selection. 




Graph Select Accesses the Graph Select tool. As you click graph objects, such as a 

riser bar, pie slice, column, etc., this tool selects the corresponding 

records from the table. 

Zoom-in * Accesses the Zoom-in tool to get a closer area view of a map or layout. 

Zoom-out * Accesses the Zoom-out tool so you can get a wider area view of a map 

or layout. 

Change View * Accesses the Change View dialog box so you can specify settings for 

Map window width, map scale, resizing, and centering. 

Grabber * Accesses the Grabber tool so you can reposition a map or layout within 

its window. 

Info tool * Accesses the Info tool so you can view the tabular data that is 

associated with a map object. 

HotLink Accesses the HotLink tool, so you can launch active objects such as 

files or URLs from your Map window. 

Label Accesses the Label tool so you can label objects with information from 

the related database. 

Drag Map 

Window * 

Accesses the Drag Map Window button to drag an MapInfo 

Professional map into an OLE container application. 

Layer Control Accesses the Layer Control window so you can specify how the various 

tables in a Map window are layered and displayed. 

Ruler Accesses the Ruler tool to determine the distance between two points 

and the length of some path. 

Show/Hide 

Legend 

Show/Hide 

Statistics 

Set Target 

District from 

Map 

Assign 

Selected 

Objects 

Accesses the Legend window for maps or graphs. 

Accesses the Statistics window to tally the sum and average of all 

numeric fields for the currently chosen objects or records. 

Sets the target district from the map during a Redistricting session. 

Assigns selected objects to the target district during a Redistricting 

session. 


Clip Region 

On/Off 

Set Clip 

Region 

Create a Scale 

Bar 



* These tools are also available when you access your MapInfo .TAB map within a container 

application such as MS Word, PowerPoint, etc. 

Reviewing the Drawing Toolbar 

Redisplays the entire map. 

Isolates a map region for display. 

Access the Create Scale Bar dialog box, so that you can add a scale 

bar to the mapper window. 

Table List Accesses the Table List so that you can view a list of open tables, 

perform operations on them, and organize or sort them into groups. 

The Drawing toolbar contains tools and commands that are used to create and edit map objects. For 

more about how to use these buttons, see Using the Drawing and Editing Commands on 

page 158. 

Symbol Accesses the Symbol tool, which allows you to place point symbols on 

your map like “push pins.” 

Line Accesses the Line tool, which allows you to draw straight lines. 

Polyline Accesses the Polyline tool, which allows you to draw polylines (an open, 

connected sequence of lines). 

Arc Accesses the Arc tool, which allows you to draw an arc the size and shape 

of one quarter of an ellipse. 

Polygon Accesses the Polygon tool, which allows you to draw polygons (a closed, 

connected sequence of lines). 

Ellipse Accesses the Ellipse tool, which allows you to create elliptical and circular 

objects. 

Rectangle Accesses the Rectangle tool, which allows you to draw rectangles and 

squares. 

Rounded 

Rectangle 

Accesses the Rounded Rectangle tool, which allows you to draw rounded 

rectangles and squares. 

Text Accesses the Text tool, which allows you to add titles, labels, and 

annotation to maps and layouts. 




Frame Accesses the Frame tool, which allows you to create frames in the Layout 

window to display maps, graphs, browsers, and legends. 

Reshape Toggles in and out of Reshape mode. Reshape allows you to edit regions, 

polylines, lines, arcs, and points by moving, adding, and deleting nodes that 

define them. 

Add Node Accesses the Add Node tool, which allows you to add a node to regions, 

lines, or polylines when you are in Reshape mode. 

Symbol 

Style 

Reviewing the DBMS Toolbar 

Accesses the Symbol Style dialog box where you can change the style, 

color, and size of a symbol object. 

Line Style Accesses the Line Style dialog box where you can change the style, color, 

and width of line objects. 

Region 

Style 

Accesses the Region Style dialog box where you can change the fill 

pattern, color, and background, plus the border style, color, and width of 

region objects. 

Text Style Accesses the Text Style dialog box where you can change the font 

typeface, size, style, color, and background of text objects. 

The DBMS Toolbar contains buttons and commands that are used to access tables residing on a 

remote database. These options are only available if you have installed a relational database 

manager. 

Open DBMS Table Accesses the Open dialog box, which allows you to access a 

remote database. If a connection has not been established, you 

are prompted to open one. This button is also found in the 

Open dialog box if DBMS is installed. 

Refresh DBMS Table Accesses the Refresh DBMS Table dialog box, which allows 

you to refresh a MapInfo Professional linked or live table with 

the most recent data residing on the remote database for that 

linked or live table. 

Unlink DBMS Table Accesses the Unlink DBMS Table dialog box, which allows you 

to unlink a downloaded table from its remote database. 

Make DBMS Table 

Mappable 

Accesses the Make DBMS Table Mappable dialog box, which 

allows you make a table linked to a remote database mappable 

in MapInfo Professional. 


Change Symbol for a 

Mappable DBMS Table 

Reviewing the Web Services Toolbar 



The Web Services Toolbar contains buttons and commands that are used to access web services. 

For more about accessing web services, see Chapter 15: Working with Web Services. 

Using Workspaces 

Accesses the Change Symbol for a Mappable DBMS Table 

dialog box, and allows you to change the symbol style of a 

mappable DBMS table. 

Disconnect DBMS Accesses the Close DBMS Disconnection dialog box, where 

you can close a connection to a remote database. 

Open WMS Table Opens a Web Map Service table into the current map or into a 

new map. The Open WMS Table button is available whenever 

your computer is connected to the intranet or the Internet. 

Open WFS Table Opens a Web Feature Service table into the current map or into 

a new Map window. The Open WFS Table button is available 

whenever your computer is connected to the intranet or the 

Internet. 

Find Address Displays the Find Address dialog box to begin geocoding a 

single address using a geocoding service. 

Geocode Using Server Displays the Geocode Using Server dialog box to begin 

geocoding a table using a geocoding service. 

Create Drive Regions Displays the Create Driving Regions dialog box to begin using 

driving region buffers to display data or creating time or 

distance buffers for a table. 

Web Services 

Preferences 

Displays the Web Services Preferences dialog box to begin 

setting the geocoding server preferences and setting the 

routing server preferences. 

A workspace is a list of all the tables, windows, and settings you are using, stored in a file with the 

extension .WOR. Workspaces are a convenient way to return to a previously created map without 

having to open each table file individually. The workspace keeps track of the following elements: 

• Map, Browser, Graph, 3DMap, and Layout windows, including their size and position 

• Query tables created from base tables using either the Select or SQL Select statements (queries 

on queries will not be saved) 

• Graphs 

• Thematic maps 

• Legend windows 


• Cosmetic objects 

• Labels 

• Styles for fonts, symbols, lines, and fill patterns used to display objects 



To view the contents in the workspace file, open the .WOR file in MapInfo Professional, a text editor 

or word processor. 

� When you save a workspace, you cannot save any references to selections or queries made 

by the Selection tools or the Query options. 

Opening a Workspace 

Any previously opened tables and windows will be left untouched when you open a workspace. 

However, to avoid cluttering up your screen with unnecessary windows, use the Close All command 

from the File menu before adding the workspace. 

When you exit MapInfo Professional, the MapInfo Professional workspace (MAPINFOW.WOR) 

stores the last session (unless you have set your preferences so that the workspace will not be 

written). If there are files you don't want added to your workspace, close them before exiting. 

To open a workspace: 

1. Choose File > Open. The Open dialog box displays. 

2. Choose Workspace (*.wor) from the Files of type drop-down list. 

3. Specify the name, directory and drive for the workspace you want to open. 

4. Click OK. 

When you exit MapInfo Professional, the MapInfo Professional workspace (MAPINFOW.WOR) 

stores your last session. If there are files you don't want added to your workspace, make sure you 

close them before exiting. 

• For more information, see Opening Multiple Workspaces in the Help System. 

How Renaming Tables Affects Workspaces 

When you change the name of a table listed in a workspace, you invalidate the workspace. Table 

names are stored in the workspace file, so if change it, the workspace cannot find it. 

For example, if you create a workspace called CUSTOMER.WOR that contains the STATES table. If 

you later rename the STATES table to AMERICA, MapInfo Professional will not be able to open the 

CUSTOMER.WOR workspace. It will try to open the STATES table and not be able to locate it. 

There are three ways to avoid this problem: 

• Make any table name changes before you start to build workspaces. 

• Open the workspace file in any text editor and manually change the table names. 

• Open a workspace. Rename the table(s) using the Rename Table dialog box and immediately 

save the workspace. 


Saving Printer Information to a Workspace 


Understanding Your Data in MapInfo Professional 

MapInfo Professional enables you to save your printer information to a workspace, and restore 

printer information from a workspace. These settings are located in the Startup preferences (on the 

Options menu, point to Preferences, and click Startup). To save printer information to a 

workspace, check the Save Printer Information to Workspaces check box. Subsequently, when 

you save your workspace, the printer name, paper orientation, paper size, and the number of copies 

are saved. When this preference is on, the printer settings are saved in a workspace file. 

� We recommend that you leave this preference on. 

To restore printer information from a workspace, check the Restore Printer Information to 

Workspaces box. When you open the workspace, the printer name, paper orientation, paper size, 

and the number of copies are restored. This is useful if you are sharing workspaces with other 

MapInfo Professional 6.0 or later users who are also using the same printers. You may want to leave 

it off if you want to send the workspace to someone who is using a different printer. If this preference 

is turned off, MapInfo Professional uses the default printer selected in the Printer preferences. 

� You can get additional printer advice in the MapInfo Professional Printing Guide, which is 

located in the Documentation subfolder of your installation directory. 


Computer maps are organized into layers. Think of the layers as transparencies that are stacked on 

top of one another. Each layer contains different aspects of the whole map. 

What is a Layer? 

In MapInfo Professional you begin by opening your table of data and displaying it in a Map window. 

Each table displays as a separate layer. Each layer contains the table plus any map objects, such as 

regions, points, lines, and text. Additionally, the layer contains style overrides and zoom layering 

characteristics that you can add to give the layer more or less prominence in the Map window. 


Figure: Map Layers Example 



Map layers form the building blocks of maps in MapInfo Professional. Once you have created your 

layers, you can customize them in a variety of ways, add and delete layers, or reorder them. 

For example, one layer may contain state boundaries, a second layer may have symbols that 

represent capitals, a third layer might consist of text labels. By stacking these layers one on top of 

the other, you begin to build a complete map. You can display one, two, or many tables at a time. 

Map Objects as Part of Layers 

We mentioned earlier that maps in MapInfo Professional are made up of layers of map objects. 

There are five basic types of objects: 

• Regions: closed objects that cover a given area. These include polygons, ellipses, and 

rectangles. For example, country boundaries, postal code boundaries, sales territories. 

• Point objects: represent single locations of data. For example, customer locations, restaurants, 

parking meters. Points can also be combined into multipoint objects. 

• Line objects: open objects that cover a given distance. These include lines, polylines, and arcs. 

Examples are streets, rivers, power lines. 

• Text objects: text that describes a map or another object, such as labels and titles. 

• Collection objects: combination of region, line, and multipoint objects. 

You can have each type of object in a separate layer (most common), or you can combine objects in 

the same layer. MapInfo Professional lets you create, edit, customize, and display these objects to 

make maps that meet your needs. 

For information about drawing and editing map objects, see Drawing and Editing Objects on 

page 157 and see Moving Map Objects in the Help System. 

Managing a Map’s Layers 

The key to controlling your map layers is the Layer Control window. The window shows all the layers 

that make up a Map window and the status of the layer attributes. These attributes are: Visible 

On/Off, Style Override, Editable, Selectable, and Automatic Labels. ToolTips display over the 

attribute when you move your cursor over them to help familiarize yourself with each one. It is easy 

to change a layer’s, or multiple layers’, attributes. 



Working with Tables in the Table List 

You also have options available to change the display and label settings; modify any thematic maps 

you have displayed; and reorder, add, or remove layers. 

• For instructions on accessing the Layer Control window, see Accessing Layer Control in the 

Help System. 

• For instructions on changing layer order in the Layer Control window, see Changing the Order of 

Contiguous Layers or Changing the Order of Random Layers topics in the Help System. 


The Table List window lets you perform operations for open tables in MapInfo Professional using 

fewer clicks. You can organize tables into groups and sort them alphabetically and recently opened 

first. The Table List window is accessible by selecting Table > Table List. 

The Table List has the following features: 

• Modeless, so that you can open it and leave it open for the duration of your session. (Modeless 

windows do not have OK or Cancel buttons.) 

• Dockable to any of the four sides of the MapInfo Professional window: top, left, bottom, and 

right. The Layer Control window and Table List Window can also share the same space. 

• Drag and drop enabled, so that you can select tables and drag and drop them to a blank area to 

open them in a new Mapper window. When dropping tables on to an existing Mapper window, 

MapInfo Professional adds them to the Mapper window as new layers. 

• Sorting enabled, to sort tables based on ascending order of table alias (name), descending 

order of table alias, and recently opened. Sorting criteria persist across different MapInfo 

Professional sessions. 

• Multi-Selection enabled, to select multiple tables using the Ctrl or Shift keys. 

• Context Menu enabled, so that when you right-click on table aliases (names) a pop-up menu 

displays and you can perform the desired operations. 

• Searching enabled, you can search for a table name in the Table List Window by typing 

characters in a Search text box. The Table List Window list refreshes itself to show only those 

tables that contain the search characters. 

Accessing the Table List 

To access the Table List, do one of the following: 

• Click the Table List tool in the Main toolbar. 

• On the Table menu, click Table List. 




Table List lets you manage open tables and their attributes. It is resizable. It supports two modes of 

display: 

• ListView – tables display as a list. 

• TreeView – tables group according to the type they belong to. 




To see the table names of the open tables, expand or collapse the groups using + and -. 

� Hovering over an entry in the Table List will display the path of the open table as a tool tip. 

About the Table List Buttons 

Click Group By Type to switch to tree view mode. 

Click Ungroup by Type to switch to list view mode. 

Click Ascending order to sort tables in ascending order. 

Click Descending order to sort tables in descending order. 

Click Recently Opened First to sort tables based on the order they were opened. The 

most recently opened table displays first. In Tree View, the table type nodes always 

display in ascending order. 

� The sorting criteria persists across different MapInfo Professional sessions. 

Moving the Table List to Customize your Work Area 

The Table List is a floating window, so that you can leave the Table List open throughout your 

session. To move the Table List to another location in the application window: 

• Dock it to any of the four sides of the MapInfo Professional window: top, left, bottom, and right. 

The Layer Control window and Table List Window can also share the same space. You can dock 

it also using the docking guides if you enable it from System Preferences. Look for System 

Preferences dialog box. 

• Undock it by double-clicking the Table List window title bar, so that it floats. You can then move 

it to another location in the application window. 

� If your computer has two monitors, try dragging the Table List window on to the second 

monitor. This arrangement allows more room for map windows on the first monitor. 


About the Context Menu 



Right-click on a table in the Table List to view a pop-up menu with the following options: 

� You can add your own context menu items into this list using MapBasic functions. 

Select All 

Select this option to select all the rows in the table together. If a table is selectable, this menu item 

includes the table name. For unsupported tables, this menu option is unavailable. 

Browse 

Select this option to open a table in a Browser window and edit records, copy records, add new 

records, or delete existing records. 

Open in new Map Window 

Select this option to open the table in a new Map window. 

For more information, see Opening a Table in the Help System. 

Export 

Select this option to open the Export Table to File dialog box to export the table. You can export 

graphics and tabular data to MapInfo Professional format (MIF) and AutoCAD DXF (*.dxf) files. Only 

tabular data can be exported to Delimited ASCII (*.txt), dBASE DBF (*.dbf), and Command delimited 

CSV (*.csv). 


Refresh 



Select this option to refresh WFS, Universal Data, and DBMS tables. It is enabled for single 

selection only. 

• WFS table – It refreshes the WFS layer based on the WFS server settings and the filter options 

set for WFS Refresh in the Web Services Preferences. It is enabled for a WFS table when 

connection to the Internet or intranet is established. 

• Universal Data table – It refreshes the Universal Data table, such as AutoCAD ® , Microstation 

Design ® , ESRI ArcSDE datasets. 

• DBMS table –It refreshes a MapInfo Professional linked table with the most recent data residing 

on the remote database for that linked table. It is enabled when there are no pending edits 

against the table. 

Table Structure 

Select this option to specify the field name, field type, number of characters (width), and whether the 

field is to be indexed for each field in your new database. You also indicate whether or not the table 

is mappable by associating graphic objects with records and, if so, whether the map is to be an earth 

or a non-earth map. Collectively, this information is the structure of your database. 

Create Points 

Select this option to create point objects for a database that has X and Y coordinates or 

longitude/latitude coordinate information. These points can be displayed on a map. If you do not 

have coordinates in your table, then use Geocode to match some other geographic information 

(such as street address) against a table that already has graphic objects. 

Update Column 

Select this option to change a column's value by updating a table based on its own data values or by 

updating a table based on data from another table. This dialog box remembers the column that was 

updated the last time update was run and the expression that was used for updating a column the 

last time an update was run. 

Close 

Closing a table removes it from active use in your current session. When you close a table, you 

automatically close all views of that table. When closing a table that displays in a Map window with 

other tables, MapInfo Professional removes that table from the window and keeps the Map window 

open. 

For more information, see Closing a Table in the Help System. 

View Catalog Record 

This option is for metadata catalog users who are cataloging their data holdings. The View Catalog 

Record command lets you view any already existing cataloged records from an online service. The 

View Catalog Record command is active when the Catalog Browser is loaded. 

For more information, see the Catalog Browser help system. 


Create Catalog Record 



This option is for metadata catalog users who are cataloging their data holdings. The Create Catalog 

Record command lets you edit any already existing cataloged records from an online service. The 

View Catalog Record command is active when the Catalog Browser is loaded. 

For more information, see the Catalog Browser help system. 

Selecting Multiple Tables in the Table List 

Multiple tables can be selected with Ctrl, Shift, or arrow keys. Only Browse, Open in new Map 

Window and Close options are enabled in Context Menu for multi-selected tables. 

� In tree view mode, only tables can be selected. Table type nodes are not selectable. 

Dragging and Dropping in the Table List 

To open multiple tables in a new Mapper window, select them (using the Ctrl and Shift keys) and 

then drag and drop them on to a blank area. When dropping tables on to an existing Mapper 

window, MapInfo Professional adds them to the Mapper window as new layers. 

� Tables can be dropped only on a Mapper window or an empty area in the MapInfo 

Professional. 

Sorting in the Table List 

You can sort tables based on ascending order of table alias (name), descending order of table alias, 

and recently opened. Sorting criteria persists across different MapInfo Professional sessions. 

The following buttons sort the Table List view: 

Click Ascending order to sort tables in ascending order. 

Click Descending order to sort tables in descending order. 

Click Recently Opened First to sort tables based on the order they were opened. The most 

recently opened table displays first. In Tree View, the table type nodes always display in ascending 

order. 

� The sorting criteria persists across different MapInfo Professional sessions. 


Searching the Table List 

Searching Tables 


Working with Layers in the Layer Control 

You can search for a table name in the Table List by typing characters in the Search text box. The 

Table List view refreshes itself to show only those tables that contain the search characters. 

Clear Search 

Typing in the search text box causes the Search button to change to a Clear Search button. To clear 

the contents of the search text box, click on the Clear Search button. 


The Layer Control window lets you control the layers on display for all maps open in MapInfo 


Select and Modify Many Layers at Once 

Select multiple layers at once in the Layer list by using the Shift and Ctrl keys. Selecting a check box 

for one of these layers then selects the check boxes for all selected layers. This is useful when 

turning several layers off, because the map redraws only once instead of redrawing for each layer 

selection. 

Modify multiple layers at once instead of having to modify layer properties one layer at a time. Use 

the Shift and Ctrl keys to select multiple layers in the Layer list, and then click the Layer Properties 

button to launch the Layer Properties dialog box. Changes apply to all selected layers making it 

easier to ensure consistency in your layer settings. You can also set the style override for all 

selected layers by clicking the style swatch for one of the layers, or set the labeling font for all the 

selected layers by right-clicking on one of the layers and then choosing Label Font. 

You can only modify a selection of similar layers; if you select different types of layers, such as a 

raster layer and a pie theme, then the dialog box is not enabled. 

Preview Style Changes before Committing them 

Style dialog boxes that are launched by clicking a style swatch for a layer in the Layer Control list 

include a Preview button. Use this Preview button to see what the map will look like with your style 

changes before committing the change. You can cancel the preview if you do not like what you see 

by clicking the Cancel button in the style dialog box. 

Apply Display and Label Overrides for when Zooming the Map 

At different zoom levels information on the map may be difficult to view. Changing (overriding) the 

display style for specific zoom levels can help. As an example, to make the map easier to read, you 

may want roadways to display using a thick line when zoomed in to the map, but a very thin line 

when zoomed out of the map. 




Right-clicking on a layer in the Layer Control list and clicking the Add a Display Override option 

creates a display override for that layer. Right-clicking and clicking the Add a Label Override option 

creates an override for labels for a layer. The first display override defaults to the zoom range of the 

layer. Adding subsequent display overrides splits the zoom range of the first display override. You 

can then customize the display style for the layer at each specific zoom level. 

Reorder Layers 

The Layer list has multi-select capabilities. To change the order of one or more contiguous layers, 

hold down the Shift key, select the layers, and drag them up or down. To change the order of one or 

more layers that are out of sequence, hold down the Ctrl key, select the layers, and drag them up or 

down. 

When you begin to drag the layers, the cursor will change shape to represent the number of layers 

being dragged. If you are dragging one layer, the cursor becomes an arrow icon with a single layer 

icon attached to the top. If you are dragging multiple layers, the arrow icon will display multiple layer 

icons at the top. If you select layers that cannot be dragged or if you are attempting to insert layers 

where they cannot be inserted, the cursor becomes a circle with a line through it. 

� A selection of layers that is out of sequence will become contiguous upon insertion. 

Use the Move Layers Up or Move Layers Down buttons to move one or more layers. You cannot 

reorder or remove the Cosmetic layer. It will always be the top layer. 

Group Layers 

Group layers to organize them, so that you can show or hide the entire group with a single click. 

� Group Layers are not preserved when you do a Save Workspace As to a .MWS file. 

Quick View an Entire Layer 

Right-click on a layer name and choose View Entire Layer to view the layer as a whole without 

going through a dialog box. 

Rename Maps 

You can give a descriptive title for your map by right-clicking on the Map name (at the top of the 

layer list) and choosing Rename Map. 

Suspend or Resume Map Drawing 

For those times when you want to make many quick changes, and you do not want the map to 

redraw after each change, you can toggle the Automatic Map Drawing button to temporarily turn off 

map display. 

• For more information, see Grouping Layers and Suspend or Resume Map Drawing, in the Help 

System. 


Accessing Layer Control 

To access the Layer Control window, do one of the following: 

• Click the Layer Control tool in the Main toolbar. 

• On the Map menu, click Layer Control. 



Use Layer Control to manipulate the layers and their attributes to determine the map display. 

1 

2 

1 Select the Visible check boxes to display a layer. 

2 The Layer Type indicates the types of items in the layer. 

3 Click the Automatic Labels icon to label a layer automatically. 

4 Click the Selectable icon to make a layer selectable in the Map window. 

5 Click the Editable icon to make the layer editable. 

Visual indicators in the Layer list provide more information about a layer: 

• When a layer is outside of its zoom range, the layer name is dimmed and there is an asterisk (*) 

beside the Visible On/Off check box. 

• Selecting an object, such as a point or line, in the map window causes the layer name to appear 

in bold. 

• When you select a layer, it is highlighted in the list. You can select multiple layers by using the 

Ctrl and Shift keys when making your selections. 


3 

4 

5

Layer Types 



The Layer Type Indicate the types of items in the layer, such as points, lines, regions, theme range, 

or raster images. If the layer has a Style Override, then the icon indicates the style. You can show or 

hide layer type icons by clicking the Layer Control Options button in the Layer Control window. Layer 

Type icons include: 

• For points, lines, and regions, click the icon to open the corresponding style dialog box and edit 

style properties for the layer. 

points 

lines 

regions 

• A layer with a theme shows a thematic icon. 

Range Theme 

Bar Chart Theme 

Pie Chart Theme 

Graduated Symbol Theme 

Dot Density Theme 

Individual Theme 

Grid Theme 

• A map tile server layer or a raster layer displays the following icon: 

Raster Layer or Tile Server Layer 

• A group layer icon indicates a group of layers. You can drag to move layers in to or out of the 

group. 

Group Layer 

� Group Layers are not preserved when you do a Save Workspace As to a .MWS file. 


About the Layer Control Buttons 



The following buttons in the Layer Control window help you to control how the map displays layers: 

Click Add Layers to open the Add Layer dialog box and add one or more layers to the 

map. Select from the list of open tables. Your additions display in the Layer list. 

The Add Layers button enables when there is an active map window; the layers you add 

are for the active map window. Before clicking the Add Layers button, make a map active 

(bring it to the front) by clicking on the map title in the layer list. 

Click Remove Layers to remove selected layers from the Layer list. To select multiple 

layers, press the Shift or Ctrl key while selecting layers. 

� The Remove Layers button displays a confirmation dialog box. If you would rather 

not see these confirmation prompts, click the Layer Control Options button and 

un-check Confirm Removal of Layers in the Layer Control Options dialog. 

Click Move Layers Up to reorganize one or more layers in the list. To select multiple 


Click Move Layers Down to reorganize one or more layers in the list. To select multiple 


The order determines which layers obscure the contents of the other layers; the bottom 

layer in the list is the most obscured. 

Click Layer Properties to open the Layer Properties dialog box and set display attributes, 

including label display and labeling rules, for selected layers. 

The Layer Properties button enables after selecting a single layer or multiple layers of the 

same type. If you select two different layer types, such as the Cosmetic layer and a raster 

layer, then this button does not enable. 

Click Modify Theme to open the Modify Thematic Map dialog box and set display 

attributes for a thematic layer. This button is only active after selecting a thematic layer. 

Click Hotlink Options to open the Hotlink Options dialog box where you can specify 

filename expression, file locations, what activates HotLink, and saving options to table 

metadata. See Creating Active Objects in the Help System.The Hotlink Options button 

enables only after selecting a single layer. 

Click Automatic Map Drawing to allow map redraw or to turn off map display as changes 

are made to layers. Select to suspend automatic redraw when there are many layers that 

slow the redraw process. 

Click Layer Control Options to open the Layer Control Options dialog box and set which 

maps show in the Layer list, enable confirmation when removing a layer, disable tooltips in 

the Layer Control window, and show or hide icons in the Layer Control window. 


Moving the Layer Control Window to Customize Your Work Area 



The Layer Control is a floating window, so that you can leave the Layer Control window open 

throughout your session. It also docks to the side of the application window, so that you can 

customize your work area. 

To move the Layer Control to another location in the application window: 

• Undock it– Double-click the Layer Control window title bar, so that it floats. You can then move it 

to another location in the application window. 

• Dock it – Drag the layer control window by the title bar, toward the left or right side of the screen, 

so that the Layer Control window snaps in to place. 

� If your computer has two monitors, try dragging the Layer Control window on to the second 

monitor. This arrangement allows more room for map windows on the first monitor. 

Adding Layers to the Map 

You can add one layer to the current Map window at a time or use the multi-select functionality to 

add layers simultaneously. 

� You can only add layers from tables that are open. If you want to add a layer and you do not 

see it in the list, make sure the table that contains that layer is open. 

• For more information, see the Help System. 

Reordering Map Layers 

Map layers display in the order that they are listed in the Layer Control window, with the bottom layer 

drawn first and the top layer (which is always the Cosmetic Layer) drawn last. It is important to order 

your layers correctly. 

For example, you have a layer of customer points and a layer of census tracts. If the layers are 

incorrectly ordered in the Map window, MapInfo Professional might draw the customer points first 

and then display the census tract layer second. Your points would be obscured by the census tract 

layer. You can reorder how layers are displayed in a Map window two ways. 

• For more about layers, see Reordering Layers, Changing the Order of Contiguous Layers and 

Changing the Order of Random Layers topics in the Help System. 

Layer order is also important when you use the Select button. The Select tool selects objects from 

the topmost Selectable layer. If you have several objects at the same location, it is difficult to select 

the exact one you want. You can reorder your layers in Layer Control so that the layer you want to 

select from is the new topmost layer. 




MapInfo Professional does not allow you to control the front-to-back ordering of objects within a 

single map layer. If you are editing a table, and you draw a line on top of a circle, the line might 

appear in front of or behind the circle; you cannot control whether it is in the front or the back. You 

can, however, control the front-to-back ordering of objects in a Layout window. 

� If you need to control the ordering of objects (for example, you need to make sure that your 

lines display on top of your regions), put the different object types in separate layers. Put 

your line objects in one table, and put your region objects in another table. Then use the 

Layer Control window to order the layers. 

• For more information, see Removing a Layer from the Map and Changing how a Layer Displays 

on the Map in the Help System. 

Setting the Zoom Layering 

Sometimes you want a map layer to display only at certain zoom levels. Zoom Layering controls the 

display of a map layer so that it displays only when the map’s zoom level falls within a preset 

distance. 

For example, you have a layer of streets and a layer of postal code boundaries. When you zoom out 

past 10 or so miles, the streets look like a black smudge in the window. This is because the zoom 

(window width) is too wide to show detailed street maps. Use Zoom Layering to tell MapInfo 

Professional to display the street layer only when the zoom is set to a distance that allows you to see 

the street detail properly, for instance, less than 5 miles. 




The first map doesn’t have zoom layering set for its street layer. At a zoom of 15 miles across, notice 

how difficult it is to see any detail. The second map has zoom layering set to display the streets 

when the zoom is less than five miles. Therefore, the streets layer does not display when the window 

is set at 15 miles. 

For more information, see Setting the Zoom Layering in the Help System. 

You can display different layers in the same Map window at different zoom levels. For example, you 

have a layer of streets, a layer of county boundaries, and a layer of state boundaries. You want the 

streets layer to be visible only when the zoom level is less than eight miles. You want the county 

boundary layer to display when the zoom level falls between 20 miles and 200 miles. You want the 

states boundary layer to be visible only when the zoom level is greater than 100 miles. You can set 

a different zoom level for every layer in your Map window. 

� When you add an object, a region, a line, or a polyline in the Map window and zoom out 

beyond where the zoom layer would permit you to see that feature, MapInfo Professional 

turns off zoom layering so you can continue to see what you are working on. When you 

complete the add process, a message displays asking you if you want to leave zoom layering 

off (so you will still be able to see the feature). If you click Cancel, MapInfo Professional 

cancels the zoom layering. If you click OK, you need to adjust your zoom settings to see this 

feature again. 

For more information, see Changing a Map’s Zoom Level in the Help System. 

Positioning and Sizing Labels 

Two features in the Layer Properties dialog box help you with label placement: Anchor Point and 

Offset. 

To label a map object using the Label button: 

1. Make sure that the layer containing the objects you want to label is selectable. Choose Map > 

Layer Control and click the Selectable icon to make the layer selectable. 

2. Click the Label button in the Main toolbar. 

3. Click on an object with the Label button to display a label for that object. MapInfo Professional 

labels the object with the values (from the column that you specified for that layer in the Layer 

Properties dialog box on the Label Display tab). 

4. To change label options, choose Map > Layer Control. The Layer Control window displays. 

5. In the Layer list, double-click the layer name. The Layer Properties dialog box displays. 




6. Select the Label Display tab and specify the desired label options, such as label style and 

placement. 

Default Position (also called the anchor point) is the label’s position relative to the map object. 

Click on one of the buttons to select an anchor point. You have nine choices. 

The anchor point is an ongoing attribute of the label. For example, if you anchor a point object’s 

label at Center Left and you increase the label’s font size, the text will grow to the left. This way, 

the text can never overwrite the point. 

The default anchor point varies with the type of map object you are labeling: 

• Regions default to Center. 

• Lines default to Below Center. 

• Points default to Right. 

Label Offset is how far away a label is from its anchor point. Specify the number of half spaces 

you want the label to be from the anchor point in the Label Offset box. 

7. Select the Labeling Rules tab and specify the desired label adjustments, such as allow or 

discard overlapping text, try other positions when overlapping occurs, allow duplicate text, and 

label partial objects. 

Label Size 

Label size does not change with zoom or scale changes. Labels display at the size you specify at all 

zoom levels as well as on printed output. Labels are never hidden behind other geographic objects 

because they are always the last objects drawn on the map. 

Displaying the Lines, Nodes, and Centroids 

The Layer Properties dialog box allows you to display line directions, nodes, and object centroids. 

Select the Show Line Direction check box when you want to show the direction in which line 

objects are drawn. Check the Show Nodes check box to display the nodes in a layer. 

The Show Centroids box displays the centroids of each object in a layer. In MapInfo Professional, a 

region’s centroid does not represent its center of mass. Instead, the centroid represents the location 

used for automatic labeling, geocoding, and placement of thematic pie and bar charts. If you edit a 

map in Reshape mode, you can reposition region centroids by dragging them. 

See the Help System for these related topics: 

• Changing a Layer’s Labeling Options 

• Changing a Region’s Centroid 

• Changing a Label’s Style 

• Drawing Autolabels 

For instructions on inserting table-based style in the Layer Control window, see Inserting Styles into 

Tables in the Help System. 


Understanding the Cosmetic Layer 



Every Map window in MapInfo Professional has a Cosmetic Layer. Think of the Cosmetic Layer as 

the blank transparency that lies on top of the other map layers (transparencies). It can store map 

titles and other graphic objects you create during a work session. The Cosmetic Layer is always the 

top layer of the map. You cannot remove or reorder the Cosmetic Layer. 

You can only make the Cosmetic Layer editable or selectable. Other Layer Control options (labeling, 

zoom layering, display mode) are not available for the Cosmetic Layer. To select fill patterns, line 

types, symbols, and text font for the Cosmetic Layer, use the Line Style, Region Style, Symbol Style 

and Text Style commands from the Options menu. When the Cosmetic Layer is editable, you can 

access the style options from the Drawing Toolbar. 

The contents of the Cosmetic Layer are linked proportionally to the map. Map objects (except for 

symbols) and text in the Cosmetic Layer are proportionally linked to the zoom level of the map. If you 

draw objects in the Cosmetic Layer and then change the map’s zoom from 30 to 100 miles, the size 

of the objects will appear smaller. 

See these related topics in the Help System: 

• Using the Cosmetic Layer 

• Saving Cosmetic Layer Objects 

• Saving Objects on the Cosmetic Layer 

• Removing Cosmetic Objects 

• Disabling the Save Cosmetic Objects Warning Dialog Box 

Making the Layers “Editable” 

To make changes to the graphic objects in a layer, you must make the layer editable. You can draw 

objects on that layer, add text, combine, or delete objects. You can only make one layer editable at a 

time. 

• For specific instructions, see Making Layers Editable in the Help System. 

Making a Read-Only Table “Editable” 

If you are working with tables that were opened from Excel, Lotus, or ASCII files, you may have 

noticed that they come in as read-only tables. Because the files are not in native MapInfo 

Professional formats or standard DBF format, MapInfo Professional is unable to edit the tabular 

information contained in these tables. 




If you wish to modify the table information, you must save a copy of the table. You can do this when 

you open the table in MapInfo Professional by selecting the Create copy in MapInfo format for 

read/write check box before selecting Open in the Open dialog box. 

• For instructions on making read-only map layers editable, see Making Layers Editable in the 

Help System. 

Getting Layer Information 

You can use the Info tool button to get information pertaining to the map layer. 

To get information about an object in a particular layer: 

1. Make sure the layer you want information about is the selectable layer. 

2. Click Info in the Main toolbar and click the object you want information about. 

� If the information that displays is not what you were looking for, check to see that the 

layer you are interested in getting data for is selected. 

Using either method, the Info Tool box displays. 

� Use the Ctrl key with the Info button to toggle through all selectable layers and access 

overlapping objects. 

When you click a map location using the Info button where two or more selectable map objects 

overlap, the data tied to the objects on each layer display in the Info tool window. If you do not want 

the information for all layers to display, turn off Selectable for those layers in the Layer Control 

window. 

You can also view an object’s label expression in an InfoTip when you use the Select, Info, or Label 

buttons. InfoTips work very much like ToolTips. Using one of these tools, place your cursor over an 

object. An InfoTip displays the label expression for the object in the topmost selectable layer. To set 



Working with Thematic Layers 

InfoTips for a particular layer, adjust the Selectable attribute in the Layer Control window so that the 

Tips display for the layer you want. InfoTips are active by default, but you can turn them off in the 

Map window preferences (on the Options menu, point to Preferences and click Map window). 

Selecting Objects in a Layer 

If you only want to select objects for further analysis rather than edit the objects, make the layer 

selectable. More than one layer can be selectable at a time. If a layer is editable, it is also selectable. 

Many MapInfo Professional functions require that map objects be selected before performing the 

particular operation. To use the Select button, Label button or Info button you must first make the 

layer selectable. Unlike the editable feature, more than one layer may be selectable at the same 

time. You may, however, only select from one layer at a time. 

The Select button selects objects from the topmost Selectable layer. To select an object that is not in 

the top Selectable layer, you can turn off the Selectable option in Layer Control for every layer above 

the layer you want to select from by selecting a layer’s Selectable icon to deactivate it. 

Alternately, you can leave all layers Selectable and use the Ctrl key in combination with the Select 

button to cycle through each Selectable layer. 

� The instructions for making a layer editable are the same, except that you select 

Editable On/Off instead. 

• For instructions on making objects in a layer selectable, see Selecting Objects in a Layer in the 

Help System. 

For example, if you want to find all customers who live within a fifty kilometers radius of Paris, make 

the Street layer selectable. If the map also includes a layer of hospitals (which you do not want to 

include in the radius search), turn off the Selectable option for the hospital layer. 

The Editable or Selectable options only apply to the Map window itself. You can always select 

objects using the Select or SQL Select commands regardless of whether a layer is selectable. 


When you create a thematic map in MapInfo Professional, the thematic shading is added to your 

map as a separate layer. It is drawn on top of the layer, from which it gets the raw data. Separating a 

thematic layers from its base layer provides you with several important options: 

• Graduated symbol thematic maps do not require that your base layer contain point objects. 

Instead, graduated symbol objects are built regardless of the map object type. Therefore, even if 

your base layer contains region or line objects, you will still be able to create a graduated 

symbols map. 

• You can have multiple thematic layers per base layer. In some cases, you do not have to add 

another base layer to the map to create another thematic layer. You can display more than one 

thematic layer at a time, as well as perform bivariate thematic mapping. 




• You can use Layer Control to turn the display on or off for a given thematic layer. The layer it is 

based on can continue to display. You can also set individual zoom layers on thematic maps. 

Ordering Thematic Layers 

To display thematic layers properly, they must be in a specific order. This is especially important 

when you want to display more than one thematic layer at a time. For example, you would want pie 

or bar charts for an area map to display on top of regions that are shaded in order to see them. 

The following lists the order of map layers from top to bottom (note that map layers are drawn from 

the bottom up): 

1. Pies, Bars, or Graduated Symbol thematic layer. 

2. Dot Density thematic layer. 

3. Ranged thematic layer – where Color or Size Attributes are applied. 

4. Ranged (or Individual Value) thematic layer – where All Attributes are applied. 

5. Major layer or base layer. 

6. Grid thematic layer. 

When you create a new thematic layer, MapInfo Professional automatically inserts it into its proper 

place. 

• For more information, see Reordering Thematic Layers in the Help System. 

Displaying Thematic Layers 

You can turn the display on and off for thematic layers the same way you can for other map layers. 

All the display settings in Layer Control are also applicable to thematic layers, enabling you to set a 

zoom level for each thematic layer. You can also access the Modify Thematic Map dialog box 

through Layer Control by double-clicking a Thematic layer. 

Thematic layers are always drawn after their base layer. Therefore, they appear above their base 

layer in the Layer Control list, and are indented to distinguish them from other map layers. 

Thematic layers are displayed in the list with this naming convention: 

with/by 

The type of thematic map is noted first, followed by the list of variables used to create the map. For 

example, a pie thematic layer that uses commuting data is listed this way: 

Pies with ComAlone, ComCarpool... 

The variable list is truncated if there is not enough room to display each variable used in your 

thematic analysis. For more information about thematic mapping, see Using Thematic Mapping to 

Analyze Information on page 230. 


Converting Objects into Region Objects 



When you convert a circle or ellipse into a region, the region contains 101 nodes. When you convert 

an arc into a region, the number of nodes depends on the starting and ending angle of the arc. If the 

arc spans 180 degrees (for example, the starting angle is zero and the ending angle is 180), a region 

based on the arc will contain 52 nodes; if the arc spans 90 degrees, a region based on the arc will 

contain 27 nodes; etc. 

If you perform extensive map editing, you may need to convert polylines to regions. If you cut or 

copy a group of selected nodes, MapInfo Professional treats the set of nodes as a polyline object, 

and places the polyline on the clipboard. If you then paste the object, MapInfo Professional places 

the polyline on your map. At this point, you may want to perform Convert to Regions, depending on 

whether you want the finished object to be a region. 

Convert to Regions also allows you to perform node-editing operations (for example, adding and 

moving nodes) on objects that ordinarily do not allow node editing. For example, MapInfo 

Professional does not allow you to add nodes to rectangle objects; however, if you convert a 

rectangle object to a region, you can then add nodes to the region. 

To convert objects into region objects: 

1. Make the Map window active. 

2. Choose the layer containing the objects and make it editable. 

3. Select one or more objects from the editable layer. 

4. Choose Objects > Convert to Regions. 

When you choose Convert to Regions, MapInfo Professional converts each of the selected 

objects into a region object. Each object is converted into a separate region; MapInfo 

Professional does not combine all selected objects into one region. To combine objects, use the 

Combine command. 

MapInfo Professional automatically assigns the current region style to each of the region objects. 

To specify a region style, choose Options > Region Style. 

Line, polyline, arc, ellipse, rectangle, and rounded rectangle objects may all be converted to 

regions. The Convert to Regions command does not affect point objects, text objects and 

region objects. 

• For more information, see the Creating Regions from Polygonal Areas Enclosed by Polylines 

topic in the Help System. 

Working with Raster and Grid Layers in Layer Control 

A raster image is a type of computerized image that consists of row after row of tiny dots (pixels). If 

you have a scanner and scanner software, you can create a raster image by scanning a paper map. 

After you scan a map image and store the image in a file, you can display the file using MapInfo 


In contrast, vector images contain coordinate-based data structures represented by x and y 

coordinates (most of MapInfo Professional’s data is in vector format). 


The Help System contains these related topics: 

• Displaying a Raster Image 

• Registering the Coordinates of a Raster Image 

• Working with Raster Images 

• Changing the Display of a Raster Image 


Working with Seamless Layers 

Converting Grid Files to MapInfo Professional Grids (*.mig) 

The Grid Tools (Create MapInfo Grid from Table of Objects and Create MapInfo Grid from Other 

Grid Files) In MapInfo Professional allow you to convert Grid Files to MapInfo Professional Grids 

(*.mig). These tools convert any grid file for which there is a grid handler present with the output 

being in MapInfo Professional (*.mig) format. You can apply relief shading from a user-specifiable 

virtual light source and control the color inflection values. The color files are simple text files that you 

can edit to specify the color inflection values by specific value or as a percentage of the range of 

data values. You can open and display the new grid after the conversion. 

• For specific instructions, see Converting Grid Files to MapInfo Professional Grids and Specifying 

Inflection Values with the MapInfo Professional Grid Converter in the Help System. 

Adjusting the Translucency of a Grid Thematic Map 

The Translucency slider control in the Modify Thematic Map dialog box allows you to control the 

percentage that layers show through raster images. A translucent image allows you to partially see 

through the image. Translucent images can be layered on top of other layers so that the lower layers 

are partially visible through the image. 

� The Grid Appearance dialog box allows you to specify color inflection distribution options for 

grid maps. 

• For specific instructions, see Adjusting the Translucency of a Grid Thematic Map in the Help 

System. 


Use or create a seamless map layer to treat a group of base tables as if they were one. A seamless 

layer allows you to change display attributes, apply or change labeling or use the Layer Control 

window for an entire group of tables at once. You can also retrieve information using the Info tool, 

and select or browse any one of the layer’s base tables. A base table can be any regular MapInfo 

Professional table. Grid layers cannot be made seamless. 

This feature is especially useful when you want to display a vector or raster backdrop for your maps 

such as joining street or boundary maps. For example, you may have a seamless layer of county 

boundaries made up of several individual county tables. 




When zooming in on a seamless layer, MapInfo Professional only opens data for displaying the map 

at the specific zoom level—only those component tables on display open. If you change the zoom 

level, then MapInfo Professional analyzes which tiles to open and which tiles to close, and does not 

cache the data. Specific raster handlers open raster images, which are usually slower than vector 

tables. 

Features Available with Seamless Layers 

Since a seamless layer is actually made up of several base tables, MapInfo Professional does treat 

it a little differently than a regular MapInfo Professional table. You can use the following MapInfo 

Professional features with a seamless map layer: 

Layer Control 

Use any of the functions except Thematic Mapping from the Layer Control window on your 

seamless layer. Add, remove, or reorder layers or set display, zoom layering or label options 

for the seamless layer (all base tables) at one time. However, you cannot make a seamless 

layer editable. 

Info Tool 

Retrieve information about a particular object in a base table. 

Select Tools 

Select objects from the seamless layer. You can only select a group of objects if they reside 

in the same base table. Press the Shift key while clicking the Select Tool to do so. If you 

attempt to select several objects that reside in different base tables, MapInfo Professional will 

only select objects in one base table. If you use the Marquee or Radius select tools and the 

selected area spreads across two different base tables, MapInfo Professional selects the 

table in either the center of the circle or polygon. 

Browse Table 

Display a Browser window of a particular seamless table. You are prompted to select a base 

table. 

Turning Seamless Layers On and Off 

If you need to edit the structure of your seamless layer, you’ll need to turn your seamless layer off. 

To turn your seamless layer off: 

1. Choose Options > Show MapBasic Window. The MapBasic Window displays. 

2. Type set table “tablename” seamless off. MapInfo Professional turns off the seamless layer. 

3. Display the table in a browser to view or edit its table structure. If you edit the table structure, you 

will need to recompile the seamless layer. 




MapInfo Professional turns off the seamless layer. Display the table in a browser to view or edit its 

table structure. Use the Seamless Table Manager to add or create seamless tables. 

� You can access information about MapBasic functions, statements and procedures in the 

MapInfo Professional Help System. Select Help > MapInfo Professional Help Topics. 

When you select this option, you can access the MapBasic Language Reference list from the 

Contents page. 

To turn the seamless layer on: 

1. Choose Options > Show MapBasic Window. The MapBasic Window displays. 

2. Type set table “tablename” seamless on. MapInfo Professional turns the seamless layer on 

again. 

Opening a Seamless Map Layer 

MapInfo Professional includes sample seamless maps or you can create your own. Some of these 

data files are available on the Pitney Bowes Software Inc. web site in the MapInfo Professional 

Tutorial data. We recommend you download this data for use with these examples. 

From the mapinfo\tutorial\tut-usa\usa\dc\seamless directory, choose dcmetrow. A seamless 

map layer of water areas in Washington DC displays. Notice at first glance that the seamless layer 

looks like any other MapInfo Professional table. However, the Dcmetrow seamless map layer is 

made up of the following base tables: 

• VAARLIW.TAB (Arlington Virginia water areas) 

• VAALEXW.TAB (Alexandria Virginia water areas) 

• DCWASHW.TAB (Washington DC water areas) 

To display a sample seamless map: 

1. On the File menu, click Open. 

2. From the data directory, choose DCWATER. 

The following seamless map layer of water areas in Washington DC displays. 




The structure of each seamless layer includes the path name of each base table plus a description 

that defaults to the table name (alias). To view the table structure, turn the seamless layer off and 

display the seamless table in a browser. Refer to Turning Seamless Layers On and Off on 

page 66. 

Characteristics of a Seamless Layer 

Since a seamless layer is actually made up of several base tables, MapInfo Professional does treat 

it a little differently than a regular MapInfo Professional table. You can use the following MapInfo 

Professional features with a seamless map layer: 

• Layer Control. Use any of the functions except Thematic Mapping from the Layer Control 

window on your seamless layer. Add, remove, or reorder layers or set display, zoom layering or 

label options for the seamless layer (all base tables) at one time. However, you cannot make a 

seamless layer editable. 

• Info Tool. Retrieve information about a particular object in a base table. 

• Select Tools. Select objects from the seamless layer. You can only select a group of objects if 

they reside in the same base table. Press the Shift key while clicking the Select button to do so. 

If you attempt to select several objects that reside in different base tables, MapInfo Professional 

will only select objects in one base table. If you use the Marquee or Radius select buttons and 

the selected area spreads across two different base tables, MapInfo Professional selects the 

objects in the center of the circle or polygon. 

• Browser Table. Display a Browser window of a particular seamless table. You will be prompted 

to select a base table. 

• For more information, see Creating/Compiling a Seamless Layer in the Help System. 

• For more about Seamless Layers in general, see the MapInfo Professional Help System. 


• Experimenting with a Seamless Layer 

• Specifying Search Paths for Component Tables of a Seamless Layer 

• Turning Seamless Layers On and Off 


Data – Where MapInfo Professional Begins 



To use MapInfo Professional, you need to match the files that contain your information (data) and 

maps that come from MapInfo Professional or that you create yourself. MapInfo Professional 

organizes all its information, whether textual or graphic, in the form of tables; each table is a group of 

MapInfo Professional files that constitute either a map file or a database file. 

Emergency medical calls thematically shaded by type of call and time of call, with 

response zones shaded by number of calls. 

MapInfo Professional begins when you open tables, whether they are maps or data from a 

database. 

What is a Database and Other Basic Terminology 

A database is a collection of information organized so that it can be readily accessed using a 

computer. Databases in MapInfo Professional are often referred to as tables. 

To understand MapInfo Professional, you need a basic understanding of database organization, in 

particular, three fundamental concepts: record, field, index, and query. 

LastName FirstName Address ZIPCode 

Fraser Mark 212 Hudson St 12205 

Donaldson Eva 459 Yates St 12208 

Espinosa Kim 200 Broadway 12180 

Smith Charles 1 Redbird Ln 12065 

Chang Elizabeth 53 Crescent Rd 12077 




To understand the database concepts we are about to discuss, consider the table above. 

Each row in the list contains information about one person. In database terms, each row is a record. 

Each different box of information (Last Name, First Name, etc.) within a record is called a field. 

Fields correspond to the columns so that the table shown above contains four different fields. 

Database fields are ordered (first, second, third, fourth, etc.), and the basic convention is that the 

first field displays as the first column in the database. The second field is in the column to the right of 

the first, and so on to the last field, which is displayed in the right most column. 

Since the data in a database isn’t usually in alphabetical order or postal code order or any other 

pattern which would make it easy for the computer to find the information, the computer needs a way 

to organize the information. A database uses an index to keep track of what information is where 

and what record it is tied to. Without indices it would be tedious to find anything in a database with 

hundreds of records, not to mention databases with thousands and tens of thousands of records. 

A database index works on the same principle as a book index. A book index is an alphabetical list 

of topics that appear in the book and the page number or address of the information. Database 

indices work in a similar way, except that they generally work behind the scenes. You don’t ever see 

them. But the computer constructs them and allows you to use them in your work. An index allows 

the computer to work with the records according to the order of items in the key field. 

MapInfo Professional requires fields to be indexed in order to use the Find command. Indices are 

also used to improve performance in SQL Select and joins. 

A query is just another word for a question. You query data to collect a particular type information 

from your database. For example, if you wanted to know how many customers live within a certain 

number of miles of your store, (and you had that kind of information in your database), you could 

query the database to find out that information. The result of the query is query data. You can think 

of query data as a subset of your data as in the example — a list of all the customers within 5 miles 

and none of the customers who live further away. MapInfo Professional has tools to help you query 

your data and display it on a map. For more about querying your data, see Selecting and Querying 

Data on page 183. 

What Data Can I Use in MapInfo Professional? 

MapInfo Professional allows you to use data that was created in other file formats. When you bring 

data into MapInfo Professional for the first time, you need to specify its format. For example, if your 

data is in delimited ASCII format, choose Delimited ASCII from the File Format drop-down list. 

Data file choices include: 

• Microsoft Access 

• Microsoft Excel 

• dBASE DBF 

• ESRI ® shapefiles 

• Raster Images 

• Grid Images 

• ASCII Delimited Text 

• Lotus 1–2–3 

• Remote Databases (Oracle, SQL Server, PostGIS) 


• Workspace 

• Comma Delimited CSV files 



When you choose a particular file format, the File Name box will only list files that have the 

appropriate extension. For example, if you choose dBASE DBF from the File Format drop-down list, 

MapInfo Professional will only list files that are in dBASE format. 

When you choose a file other than a MapInfo-formatted file type, MapInfo Professional creates a 

table structure for that data based on the type of file that it is. 

� During the .TAB file creation process, the original file is in no way altered. The file retains its 

original properties. 

When you open that table in future work sessions, MapInfo Professional will treat these files as if 

they were in MapInfo Professional’s native format. The next time you want to open the table, you 

should choose the .TAB format for the table. If you accidentally attempt to open the file again with its 

original file format, MapInfo Professional prompts you with the message: 

Table definition already exists. Overwrite it? 

This message displays because MapInfo Professional has already created a table for that file. To 

use the file you have already created, press Cancel and open the associated .TAB file. 

Also keep in mind that MapInfo Professional supports long filenames and UNC paths. The UNC 

paths allow you to access your data without having to remember your drive mappings from one 

session to another. 

To display your table in the Map window, your data must contain X and Y coordinates. If it doesn’t 

already, you can add them using MapInfo Professional. Assigning these coordinates is called 

geocoding. More about geocoding follows later in this chapter and in Putting Your Data on the Map 

on page 335. 


• Displaying your Excel (.XLS or .XLSX) Data 

• Displaying your Access (.MDB or .ACCDB) Data 

• Displaying your Comma Delimited Data 

• Displaying your dBase Data 

• Displaying your Lotus 1-2-3 Data 

• Displaying your ESRI Shapefile Data 

• Registering and Displaying your ASCII Data 

• Importing and Displaying GML File Data 

• Displaying Your Remote DBMS Data 

• Displaying and Importing Data from a Web Map Service 

Support for Raster Images 

MapInfo Professional supports raster image display. Raster images are computerized pictures. 

These graphic images can be used as backgrounds for maps you create in MapInfo Professional 

and can serve as a reference for your displayed data. 




When you bring in a raster image to MapInfo Professional, you may need to register it (specify its 

map coordinates) so MapInfo Professional can display it properly. Choosing the Raster Image file 

format from the Open dialog box will bring you to the Image Registration dialog box where you can 

specify the appropriate map coordinates. Once you register the image, a process that creates a 

.TAB file for the image, you can open it as you would open any table in a Map window. Images that 

you purchase from MapInfo Professional will already be registered. 

If a raster image is georeferenced it will be automatically opened. If a raster image has an 

associated world file, you will be prompted to choose the projection. If you open a raster image that 

does not have any georeferencing data, you will be prompted to display or register the image. 

For a full discussion of raster image display, see Registering SPOT Images in the Help System. 

The MapInfo Professional raster handlers support: 

• LeadTools to version 15 

• MrSID SDK (3.2), to provide support for MG3 files 

• Multi-threading; specifically for ECW and the Government handlers (ADRG, ASRP, CADRG, 

CIB, NITF) 

AirPhotoUSA provides raster images at different elevations for particular areas in the United States. 

The AirPhotoUSA map handler allows MapInfo Professional users to open and display the imagery 

contained in AirPhotoUSA Map files as a layer. These files are treated just like any other raster file in 

MapInfo Professional. The MAPINFOW.PRJ file contains AirPhotoUSA information. 

You can use the AirPhotoUSA Conterminous U.S. coordinate system without making any changes. 

However, if you want MapInfo Professional to recognize and give a name to that coordinate system, 

or to use it for other purposes, you must add it to the MAPINFOW.PRJ. 

Understanding the Files Associated with MapInfo Professional Tables 

When you open your data file, MapInfo Professional creates a table. This table consists of at least 

two separate files. The first file contains the structure of the data. The second file contains the raw 

data. All MapInfo Professional tables have the following two files: 

• .tab: This file describes the structure of your table. It is a small text file describing 

the format of the file containing your data. 

• .DAT or .WKS, .DBF, .XLS, .XLSX: These files contain your tabular 

data. If you are working with a dBASE/FoxBASE, delimited ASCII, Lotus 1–2–3, Microsoft Excel, 

or Microsoft Access file, your MapInfo Professional table will consist of a .TAB file and your data 

or spreadsheet file. For raster tables, the equivalent extension might be BMP, TIF, or GIF. 

Your data may also contain graphic objects. Once you assign X and Y coordinates to your data 

records, your table will also contain graphic objects. In Geocoding – Assigning Coordinates to 

Records on page 353, you will learn how to assign X and Y coordinates to your data records so you 

can display them on a map. If you already have graphic objects in your table, there are two more 

files associated with the table: 

• .MAP: This file describes the graphic objects. 

• .ID: This file is a cross reference file that links the data with the objects. 




For a Microsoft Access table, there will be a file SOMEFILE.AID associated with the table instead of 

SOMEFILE.ID. This file is a cross reference file that links the data with the objects for a Microsoft 

Access table. 

Your table may also include an index file. The index file allows you to search for map objects using 

the Find command. If you want to locate an address, city, or state using the Find command, those 

fields must be indexed in your table. The index is located in: 

• .IND 

Opening Your Data in MapInfo Professional 

You can open your Excel (.XLS or .XLSX), dBase (.DBF), Microsoft Access (.MDB or .ACCDB), and 

ASCII (.TXT) in MapInfo Professional and display that data on a map. There are three steps to 

accomplishing this: 

1. Creating a copy of your data in MapInfo format. 

2. Creating points on a map using either coordinates in your data or by matching your data to a 

search file (see When Do I Geocode vs. Create Points? on page 336 for this process). 

3. Display your data on the map (see Displaying your Data on a Map on page 336 to complete 

this process). 

If you are accessing your data remotely or use SpatialWare or other ODBC supported database 

product, see Understanding Remote Tables and Databases on page 129 and Working with the 

MapBasic Window in the MapInfo Professional Help System for additional support. For more 

information about converting, displaying, and printing your data, see Understanding Your Data on 

page 93. 

Opening MapInfo Tables 

To work with the data in your database, you open the file or table that contains the data. Pitney 

Bowes Software Inc. provides some free introductory data you can open as soon as you get MapInfo 


� When you open a table and select a new Preferred View from the drop-down list, MapInfo 

Professional remembers your selection and uses it the next time you open a table. 

• For instructions on opening the free introductory data provided by Pitney Bowes Software Inc., 

see Opening the MapInfo Professional Introductory Data in the Help System. 

To open a local table: 

1. On the File menu, click Open. The Open dialog box displays. 

� If you are at the Quick Start dialog box (the first dialog box you see after starting MapInfo 

Professional), choose the Open button. The Open dialog box displays. 

2. Navigate to the data file you want to open. Use the Files of type drop-down to select the type 

appropriate for your data. 




3. Select the view you want of this data from the Preferred View drop-down list. 

• Automatic – MapInfo Professional chooses the most appropriate view. If the data is 

mappable (for example, graphic objects are attached to the data), for example, MapInfo 

Professional opens the table in a Map window. If you have a Map window displayed and the 

table you want to open is mappable, MapInfo Professional will automatically open the table in 

the current Map window. If the data is not mappable, MapInfo Professional will attempt to 

open the table in a Browser window. If the table cannot be mapped or browsed, MapInfo 

Professional opens the table using the No View option (no data is displayed). 

• Browser – MapInfo Professional attempts to open the table in a Browser window. 

• Current Mapper – MapInfo Professional attempts to add your data to the current Map 

window. 

• New Mapper – MapInfo Professional attempts to open the table in a new Map window. 

• No View – MapInfo Professional opens the table, but no data is displayed. 

� When you open a table and select an option in the Preferred View drop-down list, 

MapInfo Professional remembers what you selected and uses the same option the next 

time you open a table. 

4. Select the Create copy in MapInfo format for read/write to open it in native (.tab) format. 

� If you do not select the Create copy... check box, the file opens read-only. 

5. To open the file, do one of the following: 

• Double click the file you want to open 

• Click the file you want to open to highlight it in the list and click Open. 

Using either method, MapInfo Professional opens the data file. 

Note that although an MapInfo Professional table consists of two or more component files 

(STATES.TAB, STATES.DAT, STATES.MAP, etc.), only the .TAB file appears in the File Name box 

of the Open dialog box. It is the only component file you must open. For more about these other 

MapInfo file types, see Understanding the Files Associated with MapInfo Professional Tables 

on page 72. 

In MapInfo Professional you can work with a variety of table types. Some data tables are like the 

example table we just discussed. Further subdividing this class of tables are data tables that contain 

graphic objects (map objects) and data tables that do not (such as spreadsheets or external 

database tables). Raster tables are graphic images that you can display in a Map window. These 

computerized pictures do not have the same table structure of record, field, and index as data tables 

do, and therefore, will not be discussed in this chapter. For more on raster images, see Working with 

Raster Images in the MapInfo Professional Help System. 

You can see what windows are currently open by reviewing the list at the bottom of the Window 

menu. If one of these “More Windows” windows is the active window, the check box displays beside 

the More Windows entry. To make another window active, click the entry in the Window list. The 

window you selected comes to the forefront of the MapInfo Professional screen. When you select 

the More Windows entry, the Select Window dialog box displays. To activate a window from this list, 

either double-click the entry in the Select Window list, or click the entry and click OK. 


A Note about the Preferred View Options 



Of the five Preferred View options, Automatic and No View will work on all tables, regardless of 

what kind of data they contain. MapInfo Professional attempts to open the table as specified for 

Browser, Current Mapper, and New Mapper. 

Of the five Preferred View options, Automatic and No View will work on all tables, regardless of 

what kind of data they contain. MapInfo Professional attempts to open the table as specified for 

Browser, Current Mapper, and New Mapper. If it cannot, it will open the table according to the 

following rules: 

• If Current Mapper is selected, and there is no Map window displayed, MapInfo Professional will 

attempt to open the table in a new Map window. 

• If Current Mapper or New Mapper is selected and the data is not mappable, MapInfo 

Professional will try to open the table in a Browser window. 

• If the table cannot be mapped or browsed, MapInfo Professional will open the table using the No 

View option (no data is displayed). 

For more information, see Renaming a Table and Deleting a Table in the Help System. 

Opening Data in Remote Tables 

MapInfo Professional also enables you to access remote database data through its ODBC 

connectivity support and the Oracle Spatial Object support. The MapInfo Professional ODBC 

connectivity support supplies many ODBC drivers that you can easily install. Oracle spatial 

databases enable you to store spatial objects with your conventional data in the same database. 

This enables you to read and write geographies in Oracle Spatial without the need for a middleware 

product such as MapInfo Professional’s SpatialWare, or SDE. You also gain better performance 

through the Oracle Call Interface (OCI). In addition, Oracle applications can use this same spatial or 

non-spatial data through other interfaces (ODBC, OCI, JDBC, PL/SQL, HTTP, IIOP, etc.) or use 




other spatial or non-spatial tools (MapInfo Professional, ArcView, Intergraph, Excel, Forte, Formida, 

etc.). For more about accessing remote data using ODBC connectivity, see Setting your Database 

Connection Preferences in the Help System. 

Using the MapInfo Places on Open Dialog Box 

The Open dialog box provides a quick way to look for maps you have created. 

1 

1 The Places box. Select the Workspaces Directory option in the Places box, to 

display the Workspace (.wor) type in the Files of Type list. If you select any other 

entry in the Places box, MapInfo (.tab) displays in the Files of type list. 

The Open dialog box provides many ways to quickly find the maps that you have created in a variety 

of locations in your system and network. 

� The Places box on the left side of the Open dialog box allows you to select a directory in 

which you may have your map and other MapInfo Professional tables and workspaces. 

When you select the Workspaces Directory option in the Places box, the Files of type drop-down 

list changes to Workspace (.wor) type. If you select any other entry in the Places box, MapInfo (.tab) 

displays in the Files of type list. 

• For more information, see Opening MapInfo Professional Introductory Data in the Help System. 

Opening Special File Types 

There are additional file types that MapInfo Professional can read including rasters, grids, shape 

files. For details about working with raster images, see Displaying a Raster Image and Registering 

the Coordinates of a Raster Image in the MapInfo Professional Help System. 


Opening a Grid Layer 


Reviewing the Windows in MapInfo Professional 

A grid layer is a type of thematic map that displays data as continuous color gradations across the 

map. To produce this type of thematic map, you interpolate point data from the source table. In 

MapInfo Professional, a grid file from the data interpolation is generated and displays as a raster 

image in a Map window. 

• For more information, see Selecting Point Objects in Grid Files in the Help System. 

To open a grid layer: 

1. On the File menu, click Open to display the Open dialog box. 

2. Select Grid Image in the Files of type drop-down list. 

3. Navigate to the directory in which your grid image is located and click the file you want to open. 

4. Click Open to display the grid image. 


MapInfo Professional allows you to display your data in many different windows and with different 

views at the same time. For instance, you can display the WORLD table of country boundaries in a 

Map window to view the geographic boundaries. At the same time you can display the tabular data 

of the WORLD table in a Browser window to see the country names, population, and other data in 

the file. If you make a change in either window, it is reflected in the other. 

Only one view can be active at a time. To make a different window active, click its title bar. Notice 

that the menu bar changes depending on which window is active. For instance, when you are 

working in a Map window when you also have a Browser open, only the Map menu is available on 

the menu bar. Make the Browser active. The Browse menu replaces the Map menu. 

There are many different types of windows you can display your data in, depending upon what you 

need your data to communicate. This section covers the many ways you can display your data using 

MapInfo Professional. Each of these display methods: map, list, graph, and presentation give your 

information a different impact. How you display the information you have should depend upon what 

effect you want. 


Consider these options carefully before you select a display type. 



• Map windows present information arranged as conventional maps, allowing you to visualize the 

geographic patterns of your data (for details, see Displaying Data in a Map Window). 

• Browser windows present information as tabular lists (just as conventional databases do), 

allowing you to fully examine tabular data (for details, see Displaying Data in a Browser 

Window). 

• Graph windows present information arranged as graphs, allowing you to visualize and make 

comparisons of the purely numerical patterns (for details, see Displaying Data in a Graph 

Window). 

• Layout windows present information in a polished and attractive way and can be embedded in 

other applications such as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint (for details, see Displaying Data in a 

Layout Window). 

� To switch between windows to change which is active, press the Ctrl + TAB keys. 

Displaying Data in a Map Window 

You use Map windows to display the geographic objects from your table on a map. Map windows 

can display information from many tables at once, with each table a separate layer. 

Opening a Table in a Map Window 

You can create your maps or edit existing maps. You can open a Map window directly on the File 

menu, by clicking Open or by selecting New Map window from the Window menu. 

Getting Around in the Map Window 

There are a wide variety of tools that allow you to zoom, pan, and move objects around the Map 

window. Zooming allows you to look more closely or more widely at a particular geography. Panning 

allows you to move around a map left, right, up, and down. Moving selected objects in an editable 

layer is useful when you want to get your map right. 

You can zoom using the mouse wheel or using the keyboard. 




In addition to the usual zoom keys on your Main Toolbar ( , , and ), you can use the + and 

- keys on the keyboard, to zoom in and out more precisely. 

• When you press +, you zoom in by a factor of 2. 

• When you press -, you zoom out by a factor of .5. 

You can pan in your Map window using the scroll bars or the Arrow keys Up, Down, Left, and 

Right. 

Further, you can move an object in an editable layer more precisely by selecting it and using the 

following key combinations. 

• - moves the editable, selected objects 1 pixel at a time 

• - moves the editable, selected objects 10 pixels at a time 

� These tools also apply to the Layout window. 

Changing a Map's Zoom Level 

You change a map's zoom level by specifying certain parameters in the Change View dialog box. 

To change a map's zoom level do one of the following: 

• Choose Map > Change View. The Change View dialog box displays. 

• Click the Change View button on the Main toolbar. The Change View dialog box displays. 

The Change View dialog box allows you to set various parameters of the map including: 

• Display the current zoom, scale or cursor position in the status bar (the default unit of 

distance is miles which is specified in Map > Options). 

• Change the zoom, scale, and the center point of the current map view. 

• Behavior of the map when you resize the window. 

• Resize the map to fit the new window, keeping the view the same. 

• Set the map to preserve the current scale, so that resizing the window has the effect of letting 

you see more or less of the map. 

The Help System contains the following related topics: 

• Opening MapInfo Professional Introductory Data 

• Setting Margins for a Map Window when Printing 

• Editing Text in a Map or Layout 

Displaying Data in a Browser Window 

You use Browser windows to view and manipulate your data records in traditional row and column 

form, typically used in spreadsheets and databases. Each column contains information about that 

particular field, such as name, address, phone number, cable ID number, or order amount. Each row 

contains all information relating to a single record. 

• For more information, see Displaying Data in a Browser Window in the Help System. 


About the Browser Format 



If you have ever worked with spreadsheets or databases, you are probably familiar with the Browser 

format. Each row of the table contains one record, and each column in the record contains 

information about a particular field (for example, last name, street address, order number, price, and 

so forth). The name of the table appears in the Browser window’s title bar. Column titles appear 

directly below the Browser window title bar, appearing as headings. You select a row by single 

clicking the empty box appearing to the left of that row. 

The Status Bar appears at the bottom left of the MapInfo Professional window. This bar displays the 

range of records currently displayed within the Browser window out of the total number of records in 

the table. 

Opening a Table in a Browser Window 

You can edit records in your table, copy records, add new ones, or delete existing records. To open 

a Browser directly, on the Window menu, click New Browser Window. 

To create a report of your data, use the Crystal Reports functionality included in MapInfo 

Professional (on the Tools menu, click Crystal Reports). 

• For more information, see Opening Multiple Browsers, Scrolling through a Table, and Using the 

Select Tool to Edit Browser Entries in the Help System. 

How a Browser Displays in a Layout 

A Browser window displays with the column headings at the very top of the frame. Immediately 

below, it displays the contents of the table, starting with the row and column at the upper-left corner 

of the table. It displays as many columns and rows as it can fit in the frame, regardless of how many 

are displayed in the table. When you resize the frame, the number of rows and columns displayed 

are adjusted accordingly. However, fields removed from the table with the Pick Fields command are 

not displayed in a table frame. 




The number of rows and columns that can be displayed in a frame depends on font size and column 

width. The frame displays Table text using the font style and size for that Browser window. When 

you want a different type style in the frame, you have to make the change in the Browser window 

using Options > Text Style dialog box. When you use smaller type, you can get more rows and 

columns in a frame. 

You can also manually adjust column width in a Browser window without affecting the underlying 

field size for the base table. You do this by clicking and dragging the short vertical bars separating 

the column names in the Browser window. 


• Adding a New Row to a Browser 

• Adding and Editing Text in a Browser 

• Adding Fields to a Browser 

• Choosing a Font for your Browser 

• Creating a Default Browser View 

• Preserving Column and Expression Settings in a Browser Window 

• Removing Fields from a Browser 

• Resizing a Browser’s Columns 

• Setting Margins for a Browser Window when Printing 

• Showing or Hiding a Browser’s Grid 

• Using the HotLink Tool in a Browser Window 

Changing a Record's Data, Font, and Style 

The Info tool allows you to choose an object or row and see a window displaying information from 

the table about that object. Click another object with the Info tool button and its information appears 

in the same window. Click the Ctrl-menu box [Close box] of the Info window to make it disappear. 

Mouse Wheel Support for Browser Window 

When you are working in the Browser window, you can use the mouse wheel to scroll through the 

records. Roll the mouse button down to scroll down the list, and roll the mouse button up to scroll up 

the list. You can use the Tab key to scroll right and the keys to scroll left in the Browser 

window. 

Displaying Data in a Graph Window 

The Graph window allows you to visualize statistical relationships in graph format. You can create 

many different kinds of graphs: 3D, area, bar, bubble, column, histogram, line, pie, scatter, and 

surface graphs. You can also choose from a number of different graph templates. 

To display a table as a graph: 

1. From the File menu, click Open and select the table that you want to display as a graph. 

2. Choose Window > New Graph Window. 




After the graph displays you can invoke one of several editing dialog boxes from the Graph menu to 

modify an extensive array of attributes. You can also move and resize objects within the graph 

window until the desired graph is achieved. 

For more information about using the graph features of MapInfo Professional, see Graph Help 

System available by selecting Help > MapInfo Graphing Help Topics. 

Displaying Data in a Layout Window 

The Layout window allows you to combine Browsers, Map windows, Graph windows, and other 

graphic objects into one layout which can then be sent to a printer or plotter. You use this type of 

window to create presentation graphics. Layout windows have scroll bars at the right and at the 

bottom like Map windows and Browser windows. 

You can display rulers at the top and to the left to help you in positioning, sizing and aligning objects. 

The Zoom displayed in the status bar indicates the magnification factor that is currently applied to 

the Layout. When the zoom is 37.46%, then the Layout is being displayed 37.46% of its actual size. 

When the zoom is at 123%, then the Layout is being displayed at 123% of its actual size. 

Opening a Map in a Layout Window 

To use a Layout window, on the Window menu, click New Layout Window. 

� MapInfo Professional has some excellent tools to assist you in moving around the Layout 

window. See Getting Around in the Map Window on page 78 for these details. 


• Sending Objects to the Back of a Layout 

• Sending Objects to the Front of the Layout 

• Printing a Layout 

• Setting Printing Margins for a Layout 

• How a Map Legend Displays in a Layout 

• Printing a Legend in a Layout 

• Changing a Map Scale in a Layout 

• Moving a Map or a Layout 

• For instructions in sending objects to the back of a layout, see the Displaying Data in the Layout 


• For instructions in sending objects to the front of a layout, see the Displaying Data in the Layout 


Other Windows for Displaying Data 

There are two other ways of displaying data that are used less often or can be used in conjunction 

with display options we have already reviewed. 

• Legend Windows are the key boxes at the bottom of the map that explain what the map symbols 

mean. There are two different kinds of legend windows: 



Saving, Closing, and Exporting Your Work 

a. The Thematic Legend window is automatically created and details the meaning of colors, 

symbols and styles on a thematic map. Display or hide this legend in the Options menu, by 

clicking the Show/Hide Theme Legend Window menu option. 

b. The Cartographic Legend displays legend frames for any map layer, not just thematic map 

layers. The legend window displays the legend, or key, to the cartographic data on your map. 

The legend frames can all be in one window, or can be split among several legend windows 

for the same map. Therefore, each map can have one or more cartographic legend windows 

containing the frames of your choice. Additionally, you can customize the text and style of the 

information presented. Modifications to the legend can be made through shortcut menus 

you access by right-clicking in the legend window or through the Legend menu. You can 

learn more about legends in Working with Thematic Maps and Legends on page 252. 

• Redistricting Windows allow you to create groupings of spatial information. This is a little more 

complex than these other options. For more information about redistricting windows, see 

Redistricting in the MapInfo Professional Help System. 


Preserving your work is an important part of being productive. MapInfo Professional has a wide 

variety of ways you can save what you are working on, depending upon what needs to be saved and 

how you need to retrieve it. 

Saving a Workspace 

If you work with the same tables repeatedly, you know that opening each one individually every time 

you use it can be tedious. With MapInfo Professional’s workspace feature, you can automate this 

process so you can get back to the business of creating maps and analyzing data sooner. 

When you work with MapInfo Professional you generally use many different tables and windows. A 

Map window, for instance, is likely to be built of several layers. MapInfo Professional uses 

workspaces to save your work setup from session to session. Workspaces prevent you from having 

to reassemble all the pieces of your earlier setup from scratch. So, you don’t have to reopen tables, 

re-create maps or layouts, resize windows, or do anything else just to duplicate what was on your 

desktop the last time you were using MapInfo Professional. 

CAUTION: Saving a workspace will not save edits you have made to tables in the 

workspace. 

If you close a window or table and you have thematic maps, graphs, label settings or label edits, or 

cosmetic objects pending, MapInfo Professional will prompt you to save the session to a workspace. 

• For more information, see Saving a Workspace and Saving a Map Window as a .TAB File in the 

Help System. 

• For instructions on saving a Map window as a .TAB file, see the Help System. 


Saving Your Workspace as an XML-Based MWS File 



You can save the maps in your workspace out to an XML format for use with MapXtreme (2004 or 

later) applications. When saving a workspace to MWS format, only the map windows and legends 

are saved. All other windows are discarded as MapXtreme applications cannot read that information. 

Once your workspace is saved in this format, it can be opened with the Workspace Manager utility 

that is included in the MapXtreme installation or with an application developed using MapXtreme. 

The file is valid XML you can view it using any XML viewer or editor. 

� You will not be able to read files saved in MWS format in pre-8.0 versions of MapInfo 

Professional. MWS files created with MapInfo Professional 7.8 or later can be validated using 

schemas supplied with MapXtreme 2004 or later. 

You can set the visibility of a modifier theme without regard to its reference feature layer, so you can 

turn the visibility of the main reference layer off but still display the theme. In MapXtreme, the 

modifier themes (Dot Density, Ranges, Individual Value) are only drawn if the reference feature 

layer is visible. To ensure that modifiers marked as visible in MapInfo Professional display in tools 

like Workspace Manager, we force the visibility of the reference feature layer so that its modifier 

themes display. 

• For specific instructions, see Saving your Workspace as an XML-Based MWS File in the Help 

System. 

• For more information, see Caveats for Saving Label Expressions to MWS and Caveats for 

Saving Thematic Expressions to MWS in the Help System. 

Exporting to GeoTIFF (*.tif) Format 

MapInfo Professional includes the capability of exporting Map windows to GeoTIFF (*.tif) export 

format. GeoTIFF files are designed to connect a raster image to its location on the earth. 

Georeferencing information is written directly to the *.tif file so that it can be used in other 

applications. This section explains the requirements for exporting maps to GeoTIFF format. Using 

GeoTIFF format has the following requirements: 

• The window you are exporting is a Map window. 

• The Map window’s projection contains an EPSG code. Projections that do not have an EPSG 

code are not supported. 

• The Map window must not be rotated, or contain a raster image that causes a rotation. 

GeoTIFF Export Procedure 

To export a Map window to a GeoTIFF format file, do the following: 

1. Open the desired layers in a Map window, if you do not have your map open already. 


3. Choose File > Save Window As. The Save Window As dialog box displays on the screen. 

4. In the Save in box, select the destination folder of the exported file. 




5. In the Save as type drop-down list, click the arrow to see the file format choices. Select GeoTIFF 

(*.tif). 

6. In the File name box, enter a name for the exported file. 

Click Save and continue with the normal Save Window As process. 

• For more information about the conditions of GeoTIFF exporting, see Exporting to GeoTIFF 

Format in the Help System. 

Saving a Table or a Copy of a Table 

To save changes to map objects or data, you must save the table. (On the File menu, click Save 

Table.) A dialog box displays asking you to choose which table you want to save. 

You can also save a copy of the table under a new name, using Save Copy As. This, in essence, 

creates a new table. This is helpful in several instances, as when you want to: 

• Retain any changes while preserving the original table. 

• Save a table with a temporary column (from Update Column). 

• Create a new table before you make editing changes to the original table. 

• Save spreadsheet files that you wish to modify in MapInfo Professional. 

• Save a table in a different projection. 

To save a copy of the table: 

1. On the File menu, click Save Copy As. The Save Copy of Table dialog box displays. 

2. Choose the file to save and click OK. 

3. Give the file a new name. 

The original table remains unchanged and open for all further changes. The new table does not 

open immediately after its creation, but can be opened for use at any time. When choosing a name 

for your new table that begins with a number, MapInfo Professional adds an underscore to the 

beginning of the table name. For instance, your table 1STREETS.TAB will become 

_1STREETS.TAB. 

Saving a copy of a raster table only saves a copy of the *.tab file, not the image. You cannot change 

the projection of a raster or grid table using Save Copy As. To do this go to the Table menu, point to 

Raster and click Modify Image Registration and click the Projection button. Then save the file 

from there. 

Since MapInfo Professional supports long filenames, it is easier to give the new table a name that is 

descriptive and at the same time distinguishes it from the original file. 


• Saving a Copy of your Table as a New Table 

• Saving a Copy of Your Table in a Different Projection 

• Tables you Cannot Update 

• Choosing Ascending vs. Descending Sorts 

• Column Name Syntax in the Order By Columns Field 

• Rearranging a Table's Column Order 


• Saving Changes Made to a DBMS Table 

• Saving a Copy of a Table to a DBMS Server 

Closing a Table 



Closing a table removes it from active use in your current session. Choose the Close command 

from the File menu to close tables. When you close a table, you automatically close all views of that 

table. If you close a table that is displayed in a Map window with other tables, MapInfo Professional 

removes that table from the window, but the Map window remains open. 

In addition, any subset tables of the original table (known as query tables) also close. You can use 

the Close command for any table, whether or not it is displayed in a window. Opening and closing 

tables is different from opening and closing windows in which you view your tables. You can open a 

table without opening any views of the data. Similarly, closing a window does not close the table (or 

tables) you are viewing in the window. They are still open and available for use. To close a window, 

click the Ctrl-menu box in the upper-left corner of any window and select Close. 

If you have made changes to a table but have not yet saved those changes, MapInfo Professional 

will ask you if you want to save them before closing the table. To save your changes, choose Save 

Table from the File menu. 

• For more information, see Closing a Table, Closing All Open Tables, and Closing Multiple Tables 

in the Help System. 

Opening vs. Importing 

You must open a table before you can use it. The Open command activates a dialog box for opening 

tables, (opening a table is described below). Choose the appropriate table by double-clicking on it in 

the dialog box. 

Most programs require you to import files created in some other programs. MapInfo Professional 

allows you to work directly with files created in other programs. When you have a file in one of the 

following non-MapInfo Professional formats, you do not have to import it: 

• dBase DBF 

• Delimited ASCII 

• Lotus 1-2-3 

• Microsoft Access Database 

• Microsoft Excel 

By not importing data you save time; opening a file is quicker than importing it. You also save disk 

space. When you import a file, you make a copy of it. Since MapInfo Professional works directly with 

files from other programs, it does not have to make a copy. 

When MapInfo Professional opens a file from some other program, it creates a file with a .TAB 

extension. This file describes the format of the file that actually contains the data. When you have 

opened a non-MapInfo Professional file, such as a Lotus file, in a previous session and attempt to 

open it again, the following prompt appears: 

Table definition already exists. Overwrite it? 




The table definition referred to is the .TAB file. It does not hurt anything if you continue. MapInfo 

Professional overwrites the .TAB file and opens the file. 

Exporting Your Data to a New Format 

You can export your Map window to other file formats with the Save Window As command (on the 

File menu, click Save Window As). This enables you to use your map in another application, such 

as word processing, presentation, or computer publishing packages. 

Supported Export Formats 

You can save data in a number of formats in MapInfo Professional. Windows .bmp is the initial 

default. The Save Window to File dialog box sets the last-used format as the default. Formats 

include: 

• Windows Bitmap (*.BMP) 

• Windows Metafile (*.WMF) 

• Windows Enhanced Metafile (*.EMF) 

• JPEG File Interchange Format (*.JPG) 

• JPEG 2000 (*.JP2) 

• Portable Network Graphics Format (*.PNG) 

• Tagged Image File Format (*TIF) 

• TIFF CMYK (*.TIF) 

• TIFF CCITT Group 4 (*.TIF) 

• TIFF LZW (*.TIF) 

• Graphic Interchange Format (*.GIF) 

• Photoshop 3.0 (*.PSD) 

• Comma Delimited Format (.CSV) 

• See Understanding the Advanced Exporting Options in the MapInfo Professional Help System. 

• For more information, see Understanding the Advanced Exporting Options and Setting your 

Output Setting Preferences in the Help System. 

Importing and Exporting Data in AutoCAD Format 

Because CAD packages represent drawings in non-earth coordinates, all drawings imported or 

exported between MapInfo Professional and CAD suffer some distortion. This comes from trying to 

display non-earth information on a spherical coordinate system (like the globe). Coordinate 

conversions are used to assign longitude/latitude coordinates to CAD drawings that were created 

using non-earth coordinates. Conversions near the equator are more exact than conversions at the 

extremes of the hemispheres. To minimize distortion, import and export with no coordinate 

conversions and avoid translating maps that cover large areas. 

• For more information, see Importing DXF Attributes into MapInfo Professional and Importing 

Attributes with Nested Blocks in the Help System. 

• For more information, see DXF Exporting Notes in the Help System. 


Cropping Images 



When MapInfo Professional exports a window, it does not clip objects that extend beyond the edges 

of the windows, but it does export information about where the clipping is. 

Other programs always honor the clipping of bitmap files. As for other formats, the behavior varies 

depending on the program that is used to display and print the file. Many programs, such as drawing 

programs, "explode" the file into individual objects. A file containing several country boundaries 

would explode into several polygon objects, one for each country. Programs like these usually 

ignore the clipping information that MapInfo Professional stores in the file. 

Other programs, such as word processing programs and spreadsheets, typically open files as one 

compound object, without trying to explode them into component objects. These programs usually 

honor the clipping information and clip the contents appropriately. 

For example, if you are exporting a Map window that displays part of Germany, but not all of it, the 

exported file contains the entire image of Germany. It also contains information about where 

MapInfo Professional clipped that image in its Map window. But when you open the exported 

window in your target application, a drawing package for example, the image of Germany may not 

be clipped. 

Exporting to ASCII Format 

MapInfo Professional also allows you to export your tabular data to a delimited ASCII file. This file 

can later be edited with a text editor or imported into another package. When you export to ASCII, 

MapInfo Professional displays the Delimited ASCII Information dialog box, where you choose your 

delimiter character. You can also choose to have the first row of the ASCII file become column titles. 

MapInfo Professional also displays a dialog box that you use to indicate the character set for the 

exported ASCII file. Different platforms use different character sets. MapInfo Professional must 

know the platform where you are going to use the exported file in order to provide the appropriate 

character set. No graphical data is exported to ASCII. 

Exporting to dBase (*.DBF) Format 

MapInfo Professional can export tabular data into dBASE DBF format. Exporting to DBF creates 

only the .DBF file. No graphical data is exported to dBASE. When you save your table in DBF 

format, you create a .DBF file, as well as some other files. These other files contain graphic 

information (for example, MapInfo Professional indices and other information that MapInfo 

Professional uses). 

MapInfo Professional also displays the dBASE DBF Information dialog box that you use to indicate 

the character set for the exported DBF file. Different platforms use different character sets. MapInfo 

Professional must know the platform where you are going to use the exported file in order to provide 

the appropriate character set. 


Smoothing Map Images during Export 


Using the Tools in the Tool Manager 

You can anti-alias a table during the export process to give you more control over your map images. 

This is particularly important when you are saving maps created in MapInfo Professional for use in 

other Windows-based applications, in particular in slide presentations or for web pages. 

Anti-aliasing allows you to smooth images in all types of windows such as Map windows, layouts, 

legends, and graphs. 

� You cannot anti-alias images you are exporting to .EMF or .WMF format, because these are 

not true raster formats. 

There are three smoothing options you can use to customize your raster image: 

1. Smooth using a Filter value. You can set a flag that selects one of six filters that allow you to 

choose the direction the filter is applied to the image from. 

2. Smooth using a Mask value. You can select a value that indicates the size of the area you want 

to smooth. For example, to create a 3x3 pixel mask value, you would enter a 3 in this field. This 

would limit the amount of change in the color of the pixels. Typically mask sizes would be 2-3 

pixels when exporting at screen resolution. If you are exporting at a higher resolution, a larger 

mask might be appropriate. 

3. Smooth using a Threshold value. You can select a threshold value to indicate which pixels to 

smooth. Each pixel in an image has a value based on its color. The smaller the pixel value, the 

darker the color. Select this option to smooth all of the pixels above the threshold you enter in 

this field. When you set this value to 0, MapInfo Professional will smooth all of the pixels. 

You must either set a global preference for these anti-aliasing options or set them locally during the 

export process (using the Advanced button). 

• For specific instructions, see Smoothing Map Images During Export in the Help System. 

Using the Tools in the Tool Manager 

MapInfo Professional contains many additional tools that simplify mapping tasks, convert MapInfo 

Professional files to different file formats and vice versa, automate tasks for working with DBMS 

tables, and more. The Tool Manager helps you run and manage these many utilities easily. 

Use the Tool Manger to run, add, edit, or remove tools from the currently registered list of tools in the 

Tools menu. You can also configure a tool to run automatically upon startup. If you performed a 

Custom installation, you may have elected to not install the tools. In this case when you open the 

Tool Manager dialog box, the list box will be empty (on the Tools menu, click Tool Manager). 

For a list of available tools and for information about using the tools in MapInfo Professional, see the 

MapInfo Professional Help System. 


File Format Types Supported 



You can open the following file types using the File > Open capability in MapInfo Professional: 

• ACCDB – Microsoft Access files 

• CSV – Comma Delimited files 

• DBF – dBASE DBF files 

• MDB – Microsoft Access files 

• TAB – MapInfo .TAB files 

• Raster image files – (*.bil, *.sid, *.gen, *.adf, *.img, *.ntf, *.ecw, *.url, *.tif, *.grc, *.bmp, *.gif, 

*.tga, *.jpg, *.pcx, *. jp2, *.j2k, *.png, *.psd, *.wmf, *.emf, *.map) 

• SHP – ESRI Shapefiles 

• TXT – Delimited ASCII files 

• WKS – Lotus 1-2-3 files (*.wk1, *.wks, *.wk3, *.wk4) 

• WOR – MapInfo workspace files 

• XLS – Microsoft Excel files 

• XLSX – Microsoft Excel files 

• Grid images – (*.adf, *.flt, *.txt, *.asc, *.img, *.dem, *.dt0, *.dt1, *.dt2, *.mig, *.grd) 

� Grid Format Direct Support: The following grid handlers support direct read of DEM-USGS 

Text (.dem); GTOPO30 (.dem) and DTED levels 1, 2, 3 (.dt0, .dt1, .dt2). These grid handlers 

are read-only; they cannot be used to create grid files during the Create Grid Thematic 

interpolation process. 

Using the Universal Translator, you can import these file format types: 

• CATD.DDF – Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS) 

• DWG, DXF – AutoCAD 

• DGN – Microstation Design files (DGN) 

• E00 – ESRI ArcInfo format 

• FT – Vector Product Format (VPF) 

• MID, MIF – MapInfo file formats (MIF) 

• SHP – ESRI Shapefile format 

• TAB – MapInfo .TAB files 

You can import the following file types into MapInfo Professional using Table > Import: 

• DXF – The graphic/data interchange format (DXF) for AutoCAD and other CAD packages 

• GML – OS MasterMap format 

• GML, XML – Geographic Markup Language (GML) 2.1 

• IMG – A file format for MapInfo Professional for DOS image files 

• MBI – MapInfo Professional Boundary Interchange format (MBI) 

An ASCII file for MapInfo DOS boundary files. 

• MIF – MapInfo Professional Interchange Format (MIF) 

MapInfo Professional’s data interchange format (ASCII file format). 


• MMI – MapInfo DOS MMI 



� You can download raster handlers for NIMA formats such as ADRG, CADRG, ASRP, CIB, 

USRP, and NITF formats from the Pitney Bowes Software Inc. website or get them from the 

Installation DVD. 

MapInfo Professional imports graphics and textual information from MapInfo Professional 

Interchange Format, DXF, MBI, and MMI files. MapInfo Professional imports only graphics from 

IMG. 

These are the Raster image file formats MapInfo Professional supports: 

• ADF – ArcInfo coverage Data File (ADF) 

• ASC – ASCII text file 

• BIL – Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre (SPOT) satellite images 

Spot Image Formats 1.5 and 4.0: 8 Bit Gray, Format 1.5, 8 Bit Gray, Format 4.0, 24 Bit Color, 

Format 1.5, 24 Bit Color, Format 4.0 

• BMP – Windows bitmap (BMP) Monochrome: 8 Bit Color, 24 Bit Color 

• filename.* – Compressed ARC Digitized Raster Graphic (CADRG) format 

• filename.* – Controlled Image Base (CIB) format 

• ECW – Enhanced Compression Wavlet (ECW) 2.0 format handler by ER Mapper 

• EMF – Enhanced Metafile Format 

• FLT – Image Filter (FLT) 

• GEN – ARC Digitized Raster Graphic (ADRG) format 

• GEN – ARC Standard Raster Product to 1.2 (ASRP) 1.2 format 

• GIF – Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) 

• GIF – Graphics Interchange Format (GIF89a) non-interlaced only Monochrome: 8 Bit Color 

• GRC – MapInfo Vertical Mapper 

• GRD – MapInfo Vertical Mapper 

MapInfo Professional treats GRD files as either a grid or raster image. If the associated .TAB file 

contains a RasterStyle 6 entry, then MapInfo Professional treats the file as a grid. 

• JFIF – JPEG File Interchange Format (JFIF) 

8 Bit Gray, 24 Bit Color, No Subsampling, 24 Bit Color, YUV422 Subsampling, 24 Bit Color, 

YUV411 Subsampling 

• JP2 – Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) 2000 format 

MapInfo Professional supports creating JPEG 2000 files using Save Window As and viewing 

JPEG 2000 files using the LeadTools raster handler. 

• JPG – Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPG) 

• JPEG – Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) 

8 Bit Gray, 24 Bit Color, No Subsampling, 24 Bit Color, YUV422 Subsampling, 24 Bit Color, 

YUV411 Subsampling 

• NTF – National Imagery Transmission Format (NITF) version 2.x format 

• PCX – ZSoft Paintbrush 

• PCX – Format Version 5 (Paintbrush Version 3.0) 

Monochrome, 8 Bit Gray, 8 Bit Color, 24 Bit Color 

• PNG – Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format 

• PSD – Photoshop 3.0 




• SID – MrSID format 

The MrSID raster handler allows you to open and display raster images compressed in the 

MrSID format 

• TIF – Geographic Tagged Image File Format (GeoTIFF) 

• TIF – Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) 

TIFF Revision 5.0, Monochrome (Class B), Uncompressed, Monochrome (Class B), PackBits 

Compression, 8 Bit Gray (Class G), Uncompressed, 8 Bit Color (Class P), Uncompressed, 24 Bit 

Color (Class R), Uncompressed 

• TIF – Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) CMYK 

• TIF – Tagged Information File Format (TIFF) CCITT Group 4 

• TIF – Tagged Information File Format (TIFF) LZW 

• TXT – Text 

• TGA – Targa 

TGA Truevision File Format Specification 2.0. 8 Bit Gray, 8 Bit Color, 24 Bit Color 

• WMF – Windows Metafile Format (WMF) 

The raster handler will load a rasterized version of the WMF file. 

Map Tile Server raster images. For more information, see Enhancing Map Data using a Mapping 

Tile Server on page 414. 

File Limitations for MapInfo Professional Supported Formats 

Keep the following notes in mind when working with these MapInfo formats: 

• MapInfo Professional only supports the DXF file import to release 13. This has been 

superseded by the Universal Translator and Open Universal Data feature. 

• The Open Universal Data feature supports all DXF formats up to the current AutoCAD 

release. While it is our company’s intention to keep pace with the new releases of FME, if you 

extend the application to import AutoCAD DXF files using a newer version of FME before we 

have upgraded our product, errors may occur. 

• You can have maximum 500 files open at a time in MapInfo Professional if you remove the 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MapInfo\MapInfo\Common Max Files registry key. 

• You can have up to 125 files open at a time for editing in MapInfo Professional. 


Understanding Your Data 

You cannot work for long in MapInfo Professional without wanting to add more 

or enhance your own data in some way. This chapter teaches you how to get 

the most from your MapInfo tables and how to create reports with your data. 


� Working with MapInfo Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94 

� Creating a Report of your Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 

4

Working with MapInfo Tables 

Chapter 4: Understanding Your Data 


After you have brought your data into MapInfo and created .tab files, you can manage them within 

MapInfo Professional. You can view any database table in MapInfo Professional, once you have 

converted it to MapInfo format. Additionally you can add or remove fields, change the order, name, 

type, width, or index of any field. You can also specify or determine the projection of the table from 

this dialog box. You can also check if the table is mappable (contains map objects). To make these 

types of changes, see Editing a Table’s Structure on page 103. 

Keep in mind that you can only view the structure of a spreadsheet or database file that you convert 

into MapInfo Professional’s table structure. See Displaying your Data on a Map on page 336 for 

these instructions. 

To view the structure of a table: 

• On the Table menu, point to Maintenance and click Table Structure. The View/Modify 

Table Structure dialog box displays. 

• For more information, see Accessing StreetPro Data in the Help System. 

Adding to a Table 

One important operation in maintaining tables is the ability to update the data contained in the table. 

MapInfo Professional’s Update Column feature allows you to: 

• Add a temporary column or update an existing column with data from another table 

• Update a table 

• Place graphic information into visible columns 

Updating Information in a Subset of a Table 

Use Update Column to update information in a subset of a table. For example, you could marquee 

the southeast of the United States, then use Update Column to set the "sales rep" field to the name 

of your sales representative for the Selection table. 

You can update all the rows in a table or a selection of rows. To update a selection of rows you need 

to select the rows using Select, SQL Select, the Select tool, the Boundary Select tool, or the 

Radius Select tool, and then update the selection. 

Adding a Temporary Column using Update Column 

If you need to bring data from one table into another, you can use the Update Column command in 

MapInfo Professional. In fact to bring this data into the table, you can either add a temporary column 

or you can update an existing column. In both cases, use the Table menu to click Update Column 

to bring over the information. 

You have tremendous flexibility with how information is imported and what information is transferred. 

You can perform aggregate functions to transfer averages, minima, maxima, sums, weighted 

averages, and proportional sums. You can also create expressions to derive additional information 

from the data. 




• For specific instructions and an example, see Adding a Temporary Column using Update 

Column in the Help System. 

Geographic and Descriptive Joins 

A join allows you to join two tables. To do this, MapInfo Professional must know how to associate 

records in the two tables. 

For example, assume you are shading STATES by the values in SALES. Obviously, you want all 

Pennsylvania sales to be associated with Pennsylvania, all Maryland sales to be associated with 

Maryland, etc. MapInfo Professional has two ways of doing this: 

1. From a common descriptive field. 

2. Geographically/graphically. 

In this case, the most likely descriptive field contains the state name or an abbreviation for the state 

name. Thus the STATES table might have a field called Abbr, containing the abbreviation of the 

state name, and SALES might have a field called State, that contains the state abbreviation. 

MapInfo Professional matches the entries in these two fields so that information in the SALES State 

field is matched to the record having the same entry in the Abbr field of STATE, thus matching NY 

(sales) to NY (state), PA (sales) to PA (state), etc. 

However, if both tables contain graphic information, MapInfo Professional can also make a graphic 

match. 

For example, if you are a conservation official and you want to shade a map of COUNTIES 

according to the number of FIRES that occurred in the last year. Your FIRES database has been 

geocoded. In this case MapInfo Professional could examine the coordinates of each fire location and 

determine the county where the fire had occurred. That would allow MapInfo Professional to 

associate each fire record with the appropriate county. 

• For more information, see Specifying a Join Based on Descriptive Criteria and Specifying a Join 

Based on Geographic Criteria in the Help System. 

Updating a Table 

For a quick visual way to update your table, select the objects in the Map window and use Update 

Column to update the table with the new value. This would be useful when you want to update a 

number of objects with the same value. 

To include the District column in the STATES table: 

1. Create the District column (on the Table menu, point to Maintenance and click Table 

Structure) in the States table. 

2. Add a field for Districts. 

3. Redisplay the STATES table in a Map window. 

4. Select the appropriate states with the Marquee tool (or other selection method). 

5. On the Table menu, click Update Column and fill in the dialog box as illustrated in the next 

figure. Be sure to put the value in quotes so MapInfo Professional does not treat it as a new 

column name. 




6. Click OK. MapInfo Professional creates a query table of the southeastern states with the District 

column containing the value Southeast. 

7. Save the table to preserve the new information. 

Appending Rows to a Table 

Use the Append Rows to Table command to attach the records from one table to another. The two 

tables should have the same set of columns in the same order. 

To append data to another table: 

1. On the Table menu, click Append Rows to Table. The dialog box displays. 

2. Specify the table containing the records you want appended. 

3. Specify the table to which the records will be appended and click OK. 

If the corresponding columns do not have the same data type, a best fit is done to convert the data 

to the appropriate type. If the order of the columns is not the same between the two tables, use the 

Table Structure command to reorder the columns before using Append Rows to Table. 

� If tables are mappable, the bounds of the map in one table must be large enough to allow 

objects from the other table to fit within it. Otherwise, the objects will be distorted to the 

bounds of the Map window. Use the Check/Set CoordSys Bounds tool to alter the map 

bounds of the table if this occurs. See Using the Tools in the Tool Manager on page 89 for 

more about the CoordSys Bounds tool. 


Appending One Table to Another 

To append one table to another: 



1. Choose Table > Append Rows to Table. The Append Table dialog box displays. 

2. Choose the table you want to append from. Select a table in the Append Table drop-down list. 

3. Choose the table you are appending to. Select a table in the To Table drop-down list. 

4. Click OK. The status of the append operation displays. 

5. Click Stop to halt the append process. 

When the columns of the two tables are not ordered properly, so that columns with corresponding 

positions do not have corresponding data, use Modify Structure to change the order of the columns 

in one of the tables. 

You can use SQL Select to reorder the columns of one of the tables and then append the results. 

Parsing Data from One Column to Multiple Columns 

If you have imported data into MapInfo Professional from another format, there is always the chance 

that the data will not come in exactly the way you want it. In some instances, items that should 

appear in separate columns may be put together in one column. The following is a series of column 

updates that parses one column of full names (first, middle, and last) into three parts. It works even 

if there is no middle name, or if there is only a last name. 

To parse data from one column to multiple columns: 

1. On the File menu, click Open and open the table to be modified. 

2. Add three new columns to your table. On the Table menu, point to Maintenance and click Table 

Structure. Add two character columns of size 15. Call them FIRST and MIDDLE. Then add a 

character column called LAST of size 30. 

3. Put the full name into the column called LAST by choosing the Table menu, and clicking Update 

Column. Fill in the Update Column dialog box. 




The column to update is LAST, and we get the Value from the column that has the full name in it. 

Remember we are only working with one table, so the Table to Update and Get Value From 

Table should be the same table. In the following example, the table is TABLE1 and the full name 

column is your_full_name_column. You should fill in your own values for these two items. 

4. To parse the first name out of the full name column, choose the Table menu and click Update 


The Column to Update is: FIRST 

The Value is: left$(LAST, instr(1,LAST,” “)) 

5. To parse the last name out of the full name column, on the Table menu, click Update Column. 

Fill in the Update Column dialog box. 


The Column to update is: LAST 

The Value is: Right$(LAST, Len(LAST)-Instr(1,LAST,” “)). 



6. To parse the middle name out of the full name column, on the Table menu, click Update 


Update the MIDDLE column with the Value: Left$(LAST, Instr(1,LAST,” “)) 

7. Then update the LAST column again by returning to the Table menu, clicking Update Column, 

and filling in the dialog box. 

The Value is: Right$(LAST, Len(LAST)-Instr(1,LAST,” “)) 

8. Click OK to update the column. 


Placing Graphic Information in Visible Columns 



Update Column is also useful to put graphic information into columns so that it is visible. Tables that 

contain map objects store the graphic information about these objects invisibly. Using Update 

Column, you can bring some of that information into a column so it can be viewed in a Browser. 

Update Column with CentroidX(Obj), CentroidY(Obj) uses the Session Projection Preferences (if 

set), otherwise it defaults to Longitude/Latitude. For example, you want to display the longitude and 

latitude coordinates of a table of radio station point locations in a Browser. In this example, you are 

only working with one table, RADIOLOC, but you still use Update Column as in the Add Temporary 

Column example. 

• For more information, see Placing Geographic Information in Visible Columns in the Help 

System. 

Mouse Wheel Support for Browser Window 

When you are working in the Browser window, you can use the mouse wheel to scroll through the 

records. Roll the mouse button down to scroll down the list, and roll the mouse button up to scroll up 

the list. You can still use the Tab key to scroll right and the keys to scroll left in the 

Browser window. 

Adding a Row to a Table 

You can add a temporary row to an editable MapInfo table. 

To add a row: 

1. On the Window menu, click New Browser window. 

2. Choose an editable table from the drop-down list. 

3. Click OK to display the table in a Browser window. 

4. On the Edit menu, click New Row to add a row to the bottom of the table. 

5. Type the new data into each appropriate column of the new row. 

6. When you are finished adding rows, on the File menu, click Save Table to save the new data. 

The Save Table dialog box displays. 

7. Click Save to save the new row(s). 

Creating a New Table 

You can bring in data tables from several outside sources: dBASE, Excel, Access, Lotus 1–2–3, 

shapefiles, Grid, comma delimited, and delimited ASCII. You can also create your own database 

directly in MapInfo Professional. These databases can be opened and displayed as maps (providing 

they contain graphic objects), Browsers, or graphs. 

To create a table in MapInfo Professional: 

1. On the File menu, click New Table. The New Table dialog box displays. 




2. Choose one or more from the following: 

• Open New Browser — Click this check box to display the new buffer in a new Browser 

window only. 

• Open New Mapper — Click this check box to display the new buffer in a new Map window. 

• Add to Current Mapper — Click this check box to display the new buffer in the current Map 

window. 

3. Do one of the following and click OK: 

• To create a new table and new table structure, click Create New. 

• To create a new table based on the structure of an existing table, click Using Table and 

select from the list of open tables. 

4. Choose OK. The New Table Structure dialog box displays. 

If you selected Create New, this dialog is empty. You can remove a field by 

highlighting it and clicking the Remove Field button. 

5. Choose Add Field to begin adding new fields to the database’s structure. Give the field a name, 

type, width, and specify whether the field will be indexed. 

6. Continue to add fields until you have the structure you want. 

7. Use the Up and Down buttons to reorder the fields. Keep in mind that the order of fields in this 

dialog box (top to bottom) will actually display as columns (left to right) in the Browser window. 

8. Choose Create. The Create New Table dialog box displays. 

9. Specify a location for the new table in the Save in box. 

10. Enter a name for the table in the File Name box. 




11. Specify the file type in the Save as type drop-down list in one of these formats: 

• MapInfo (*.tab) 

• dBASE DBF (*.tab) 

• Microsoft Access (*.tab) 

12. Click Save. One of these things occur: 

• If you chose the MapInfo Professional format, MapInfo Professional creates your table. 

• If you chose dBASE DBF, proceed to step 13. 

• If you chose dBASE DBF, the dBASE DBF Information dialog box displays, asking you to 

specify a file character set. Choose the one appropriate for your language and click OK. 

13. Click Save in the Create New Table dialog box. MapInfo Professional creates the new table. 

� Do not use “Districts” as a name for your base tables. MapInfo Professional uses 

“Districts” internally as a system table when beginning a redistricting session. 

• For more information, see Naming a File and Opening Multiple Tables in the Help System. 

Creating a New Table by Combining Objects Using Column 

If you want to make a new map of the U.S. based on areas such as Midwest, Pacific Coast, 

Northeast, etc., you could combine all of the state data and create new objects where some 

common data value is the key to which the new map object states will belong. 

To do this, you could draw a rectangle somewhere on the States map. Select some states around 

the rectangle and specify them as the target. Select the rectangle and do a split operation. The new 

objects will be created and each split object will have its same state initials. Then, use Combine 

Objects Using Column and specify the state initials fields as the grouping value. The states will be 

re-created. 

The Combine Objects Using Column feature gives you the option of creating a new table for the 

newly combined objects: 

1. Choose Table > Combine Objects using Column to display the Combine Objects using 

Column dialog box. 

2. Choose the objects from the table you want to combine. 

3. Choose the column you want the objects to be grouped by. 

4. Choose New In the Store results in table drop-down list. 

5. Press the Next button to display the New Table dialog box. 

6. Press the Create button to display the New/Modify Table Structure dialog box. 

7. Press the Create button to display the Create New Table dialog box. 

8. Press Save and a new table is created. 


Editing a Table’s Structure 



You can make changes to the structure of your table directly in MapInfo Professional. You can add 

or remove fields, change the order, name, type, width, or index of any field. You can also specify or 

determine the projection of the table from this dialog box. You can also check if the table is 

mappable (contains map objects). 

The Table is Mappable option in the Modify Table Structure dialog box allows you to modify a table 

so you can map it or, when left cleared, it will ungeocode your table. 

To change the structure of the table: 

1. Choose Table > Maintenance > Table Structure. The View/Modify Table Structure dialog box 

displays. 

2. Click the View/Modify Table drop-down list, a list of available tables displays. 

3. Choose the table you want to modify. 

4. Click OK. 

The Modify Table Structure dialog box displays for editable tables and allows you to change the 

structure of a table. The View Table Structure dialog box displays for read-only tables and is only for 

viewing the table's structure. 

� Keep in mind that you can only view the structure of a file that you bring into MapInfo 


To move a column in the Modify Table Structure dialog box, select the column you want to move and 

drag it to the new position in the list. A small blue arrow shows the position of the column you are 

dragging. 

Copying and Renaming a Table 

Because a MapInfo Professional table consists of two or more component files (STATES.TAB, 

STATES.DAT, STATES.MAP, etc.), all of these files for a particular table must be in the same 

directory. If you move any of the component files to a different directory, you must move all of them. 

When you want to back up a table to diskette, you must back up all of the component files. 

Because each table has at least two files associated with it, you cannot change one file name 

without changing all the other associated file names. Otherwise, MapInfo Professional would not 

know where to find all the files that constitute the table. 

• For more specific instructions, see Copying and Renaming a Table in the Help System. 

Deleting a Table 

Deleting a table allows you to remove the .tab file and all component files associated with the table. 

To delete a table: 

1. On the Table menu, point to Maintenance and click Delete Table. 




2. Choose the table to delete and click OK. A message displays to inform you that the table will be 

permanently deleted and the operation cannot be undone. 

3. Click OK and MapInfo Professional deletes the table. 

Deleting a raster table only deletes the *.tab file. Deleting a grid file removes both the *.tab and grid 

file. 

Packing a Table 

Packing a table allows you to compress tables to take up less disk space. You can choose to pack 

only tabular data or graphic objects or both. Packing tabular data removes deleted records. When 

you pack a table, MapInfo Professional requires that you have twice as much free space as the table 

takes up to handle a copy of the database as a scratch file. 

To pack a table: 

1. On the Table menu, point to Maintenance and click Pack Table. The Pack Table dialog box 

displays. 

2. Choose a table from the Pack Table drop-down list. 

3. Click the appropriate radio button to specify the type(s) of data. 

Pack Tabular Data 

This option removes deleted records, making the table smaller, and increasing processing 

speed. 

4. Click OK. 

Pack Graphic Data 

This option packs only graphic information. 

Pack Both Types Of Data 

Both graphic and textual information are packed. 

� Packing a table can corrupt customized labels saved to a workspace. If you are going to be 

working with customized labels, pack the table before you create the labels. 

Collecting Data into the Table using Update Column 

MapInfo Professional provides a number of powerful aggregating functions that allow you to derive 

new information. These features are available in Update Column when you specify two tables in the 

Update Column dialog box. The aggregate expressions include Average, Count, Minimum, 

Maximum, Sum, Weighted Average, Proportion Sum, Proportion Average, and Proportion 

Weighted Average. Each is defined in the next table. 


Aggregate Expressions Description 



Average Calculates the average of the values for all records in a group. 

Count Counts the number of records in a group. 

Minimum Finds the lowest value for all records in a group. 

Maximum Finds the highest value for all records in a group. 

Sum Calculates the sum of the values for all records in a group. 

Weighted Average Gives more weight to one value over another when averaging. 

Proportion Sum A sum calculation that is adjusted based on how much of one object 

is within another object. 

Proportion Average An average calculation that is adjusted based on how much of one 

object is within another object. 

Proportion Weighted 

Average 

Note that average, count, min, max, sum, and weighted average operate on data values only. The 

proportion functions take geographic relationships into account. 

For faster performance for proportional calculations, use the Proportional Overlap Tool; see Using 

the Tools in the Tool Manager on page 89. For information about this tool, see Proportional 

Overlap Tool in the Help System. 

� To find instructions for using the Update Column feature, see Adding a Temporary Column 

using Update Column on page 94. 

• For more examples, see Collecting Data into the Table using Update Column in the Help 

System. 

Browsing a Table 

There are times when viewing the tabular data in a table is necessary. In MapInfo Professional, this 

is called browsing the table. 

To browse a table: 

1. On the Window menu, click New Browser Window. 

2. Choose the table you wish to browse and click OK. 

A weighted average calculation that is adjusted based on how much 

of one object is within another object. 

The Browser shows the fields of the data table (column headings) and the records of data (rows). 



Creating a Report of your Data 

A Browse menu item gives you further functionality. On the Browse menu, click Pick Fields to 

display only the columns of data you want to see. If you wish to show information that is only implicit 

in the base table, in the Pick Fields dialog box choose Expression from the Fields in Table list. For 

more on expressions see Deriving Columns on page 218, or Creating Query Expressions on 

page 198. 

To show or hide the Browser window grid, on the Browse menu, click Options. 

To add new records to the Browser: 

1. On the Edit menu, click New Row to add a row (or use Ctrl-E). 

2. Enter text directly into each field. As you type, press Tab or Shift-Tab to move from field to field. 

3. You must remember to save the new information to the base table before exiting the program. 

The square box to the left of each record in the Browser window is the select box. Click it to select 

the record in the Browser window. If the Map window for the table is open, the record is selected as 

well. To add records to the selection, Shift and drag to select consecutive records, or Shift-Click 

non-consecutive records. 

Selecting records creates a subset of the table that you can browse, map, or graph, just like the full 

table. More on selecting is found later in Selecting and Querying Data on page 183. You can also 

create a report of your tabular data using the Crystal Reports functionality included with MapInfo 

Professional. The Crystal Reports User Guide, which is located in the Documentation subfolder of 

your installation directory to help you get the most out of this powerful report writing program. 


MapInfo Professional includes the full report-writing functionality of Crystal Reports. Crystal Reports 

enables you to create reports of your tabular data. The Crystal Reports User Guide is included 

online so that you can get the most from this program. 

To create a report and print it: 

1. On the Tools menu, point to Crystal Reports and click New Report. The New Report dialog 

box displays. It lists all the open tables. 

2. Click the table you want to create a report for, and click Report. The Crystal Reports user 

interface displays. 

3. In Crystal Reports, Choose Report > Report Expert to display the Create Report Expert dialog 

box. The Report Expert walks you through the selection of data, fields, fields to sort by, fields to 

total, and styles for your report. Click Preview Sample to see a sample of your report on the 

screen. 

4. On the File menu, click Print to print your report. 

� Tables with columns containing underscores, temporary column, do not display in the default 

Crystal Report. Use the Expert Wizard to access columns containing these elements. 


Opening an Existing Report 

To open an existing report: 



1. Choose Tools > Open Report. The Choose Crystal Report dialog box displays. 

2. Select the report from the dialog box. 

Saving a Report 

When you save a report, an .rpt extension is assigned to the report. The report is assigned the 

default name: (tablename) report.rpt. You may rename the report using the Crystal Reports Save As 

feature. 

All .rpt files are saved in the directory specified in Options> Preferences > Directories > Crystal 

Report files. 



The graphing feature in MapInfo Professional lets you create a myriad of 

different graphs from three-dimensional bar graphs to exploded pie graphs. 

Each type of graph has its own set of features that you can customize to 

emphasize a particular piece of information, or create the aesthetic look you 

want for your graph. These features, plus additional formatting options, give you 

full control over the look and content of the graph. 

In this Chapter: 

� Selecting the Right Type of Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 

� Graphing Your Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 

� Working with Multi-Table and Multi-Variable Graphs . . . . . . . . .119 

� Saving a Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 

� Using Graph Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 

5

Selecting the Right Type of Graph 

Chapter 5: Graphing Your Data 


What do you need your graph to tell your audience? The answer to this question determines the type 

of graph you should select. In MapInfo Professional, you can choose from 10 different graph types. 

Each type of graph includes at least one graph template that you can use to create your graph. Each 

graph type, with a brief description of each template, is explained in the next section. 

Graphing Terms 

Axis (Axes) 

An axis refers to a graduated line bordering the plot area of a graph. Coordinates are measured 

relative to the axes. By convention, the X-axis is horizontal and the Y-axis is vertical. 

1 

2 

1 Y Axis 2 X Axis 

Data Series 

A data series is the information your graph is based on. 

Graph Object 

A graph object is any selectable element in your graph. This can be a line, an area, text, or title. 

Graph Series 

A graph series is the row of objects you are graphing. 

Label Axis 

The label axis is the axis that has the labels of the data values being graphed. For example, in a 

typical financial graph, the label axis might have 1st Qtr, 2nd Qtr, and 3rd Qtr while the value axis 

might have dollar amounts. For a graph in normal orientation (not rotated), the label axis is the X, or 

horizontal axis. 

3D Graphs 

Three-dimensional (3D) graphs give your information impact and depth. Most 3D templates are 

variations of a bar graph. You can customize a graph to fine-tune its appearance, such as applying a 

3D Viewing Angle feature to set the angle at which a 3D graph displays. 

• 3D Bar – A conventional bar graph in three dimensions. 




• 3D Floating Cube – Each value being measured, such as population, is displayed as a cube. 

The value is indicated by the placement of the cube in the graph. Cubes that have higher values 

appear to float within the graph. 

• 3D Floating Sphere – This graph is the same as the 3D Floating Cube, except that each value 

being measured is displayed as a sphere. 

• 3D Line – The values being measured for a category, such as a country or a city, are displayed 

as a continuous line across the axis. The line will dip and spike according to the values. 

• 3D Pyramid – Each value being measured is displayed as a 3-dimensional pyramid. This graph 

is based on a bar graph—the higher the value, the taller the pyramid. 

• 3D Round – This graph is the same as the 3D Bar graph, except that the values are displayed 

as cylinders instead of bars. 

Area Graphs 

Area graphs display cumulated totals as numbers or percentages over time. You view your graph 

series as an area, where the area from the X axis to the plot line of the data series is filled in with a 

pattern or color. You can choose from the following templates: 

• Clustered – A clustered area graph draws area risers overlapping each other to show the 

absolute relationship between data series. 

• Percent – The percent area graph is an area version of a pie graph whose parts total 100%. 

Each group calculates the percent of the total required for each series. The axis goes from 0 to 

100%. 

• Stacked – The area risers are stacked on top of each other. The axis is the cumulative total of all 

the groups. 

Bar Graphs 

Bar graphs display proportional relationships over time by using horizontal or vertical bars, whose 

lengths are proportional to quantities. 

• Clustered – The clustered bar graph is a side-by-side group of bars. This is the standard type of 

two-dimensional graph. 

• Percent – The percent bar graph is a bar-graph representation of a pie graph. Each group 

calculates the percent of the total required for each series. The axis goes from 0 to 100%. 

• Stacked – The stacked bar graph displays stacked groups of bars. Each stack is made up of all 

series in this group, added up to obtain a total. The axis is the total value of the cumulative 

points. 

Bar charts are more accurate than pie charts, because distances are more accurately estimated 

than areas. Do not use bar graphs for: 

• Comparisons. Instead use one-dimensional scatterplots. 

• Larger data sets. Instead, use line charts. 

Bubble Graphs 

Bubble graphs plot values on an X-Y axis and compare a third value, Z, by the size of the markers in 

the graph. The bubble graph requires three values per marker, X, Y, and Z, in that order. Another 

way to think of it is that the graph is an X-Y plot where the marker size depends on a third value, Z. 


Column Graphs 



Column graphs display observations over time or under different conditions. This type of graph is 

effective with smaller data sets. 

• Clustered – Each group of columns for a category are clustered together. 

• Percent – The percent column graph is a column-graph representation of a pie graph. Each 

group calculates the percent of the total required for each series. The axis goes from 0 to 100%. 

• Stacked – The stacked column graph shows stacked groups of columns. Each stack is made up 

of all series in this group, added up to obtain a total. The axis is the total value of the cumulative 

points. 

Column charts are more accurate than pie charts, because distances are more accurately estimated 

than areas. Do not use column graphs for: 

• Comparisons. Instead use one-dimensional scatterplots. 

• Larger data sets. Instead, use line charts. 

Histogram Graphs 

Histograms show frequency distribution by grouping values into value ranges—it measures the 

number of data values that fall within each range. The ranges display as bars without gaps. 

• Horizontal – The orientation of the bars is horizontal. 

• Vertical – The orientation of the bars is vertical. 

Line Graphs 

Line graphs display trends and relationships by connecting data points by lines or curves. 

• Clustered – In a clustered line graph, lines draw on top of each other to show the absolute 

relationships between data series. 

• Percent – The percent line graph is a line-graph representation of a pie graph. Each group 

calculates the percent of the total required for each series. The axis goes from 0 to 100%. 

• Stacked – In a stacked line graph, lines stack on top of each other. The axis is the cumulative 

total of the all the groups. 

Do not sue line graphs if the X axis has non-numeric values. 

Pie Graphs 

Pie graphs display proportional relationships at a given time. Segments of the pie chart may be 

pulled out of the pie for emphasis, as an exploded pie chart. 

• Pie – The pie graph displays percentages of a total as pie wedges. 

• Ring Pie – The ring pie graph is a variation of the standard pie graph. It looks like a ring or donut. 

The total value of all the pie slices displays in the center. 

Pie charts do not represent values beyond 100% and do not show change over time. Do not use pie 

charts: 

• For exact comparisons of values. The pie shapes can be hard for people to interpret. 


• For rank data. Instead, use column or bar charts. 

• When proportions vary greatly. 

Scatter Graphs 



Scatter graphs display measurements over time (one-dimensional scatterplot) or an impression of 

the relation between two variables (two-dimensional scatterplot). It distributes data points along one 

or two dimensions using a standard X-Y plot requiring two values per marker, X and Y, in that order. 

Do not use a scatter graph for: 

• Trends, interpolation, extrapolation, recognition, and comparison of change rates. 

• More than one independent variable. 

Surface Graphs 

Surface graphs display three dimensional data sets, where X and Y values determine the reference 

coordinates for Z values. 

• Surface – The surface graph displays all data points as a surface, like a rolling wave. 

• Surface with Sides – A variation of the surface graph, where the surfaces in the graph have 

solid sides. 

• Surface, Honeycombed – A variation of the surface graph, where the surfaces in the graph 

have a honeycombed look. 


To create a graph, use the New Graph Window menu command in the Window menu. 

Creating a Graph using the Graph Wizard 

Graphing in MapInfo Professional is done through a two-step graph wizard, similar to the Create 

Thematic Map wizard. You must first open in a table MapInfo Professional before graphing its data. 

To access the wizard and create a graph: 

1. On the Window menu, click New Graph Window. The Create Graph – Step 1 of 2 dialog box 

displays. Select the graph type and the graph template to use. 




2. Click one of the graph types shown in the Graph group in the left pane. When you select a graph 

type, the templates for that graph type display in the Template group. 

3. Choose a template from the right pane. Some graph types have several templates to choose 

from. Others, such as the bubble and scatter graph types, have only one template. 

4. Click Next when you have selected a template. The Create Graph – Step 2 of 2 dialog box 

displays. Select the table and the fields from the table to graph. Optionally, choose what column 

you want to use for your labels. 

� This dialog box is the same for all graph types. 

5. Choose the table you want to graph from the Table drop-down list. The list displays the currently 

open tables. 




6. Choose the fields from the table you want to graph. Select a field from the Fields from Table list, 

and either double-click it, or highlight it (single click) and click the Add button. Both methods will 

move the field to the Fields for Graph list. Use the Remove button in the same way to move 

fields back to the Fields from Table list. 

7. Arrange the fields in the desired order by selecting a field and using the Up and Down buttons to 

place it in the position you want. 

Some graph types use the first field for axis labels (bar, 3D, column), and other graph types use 

the order of the fields to determine X and Y values. In the case of bubble graphs, the field order 

also determines the Z value. 

8. If applicable, select whether you want to graph your series by row or by column (this is not 

available for bubble, histogram, or scatter graphs). 

9. Click OK. Your graph displays in a Graph window. 

Editing a Graph 

Once you create the basic graph, your ability to customize it is unlimited and depends only upon the 

message your graph needs to convey. You have complete control over virtually every aspect of your 

graph and every item in the Graph window. The customizing options available depend on the graph 

type you have selected. 

Selecting Graph Objects 

To format a graph object, select it by clicking it. When you make a graph selection, you can also 

select related graph objects. For example, if you click a series bar in a column graph, then all the 

series bars and the corresponding legend marker are selected. If you select an axis label, all the 

labels on that axis are selected. All selected items are altered. 

If you choose an axis label, then all of the labels on that axis are selected. If you change an attribute 

from the Formatting dialog box, then all the selected items are affected. 

Shift-click and Ctrl-click have no special meaning when selecting for formatting. When the Graph 

Select tool is active, Shift-click does have a special meaning. 

Moving and Resizing Graph Objects 

To move a graph object, click it in the Graph window and drag it to the desired location. You can 

move the titles, data labels, and the legend. When you click on a movable object, the cursor 

changes to a crosshair and you can drag the object to a new location. You cannot drag an object 

past the edge of the Graph window. 

� If you move the main graph frame, then some of the other objects, like axis title labels, will 

move along as well. 




You can resize some objects in the Graph window. If it is resizable, then handles display along the 

outer edge of the object you select. When you move the mouse over one of the resize handles the 

cursor changes shape to indicate the direction in which the object can be resized (east-west, northsouth, 

northwest-southeast or northeast-southwest).You cannot resize an object past the edge of 

the graph window. 

� When you resize the main graph frame, then some of the other objects, like axis title labels, 

move as the frame is resized. 

To resize the legend, select it to display legend handles. Click and drag on one of the edit handles to 

make the legend larger or smaller. 

Using the Graph Menu 

The Graph menu contains all the editing options to customize your graph. When you create a graph, 

the Graph menu displays in the MapInfo Professional menu bar. You can also access the Graph 

menu options by right-clicking in the Graph window to display a shortcut menu. 

Formatting Graph Objects 

On the Graph menu, click Formatting to access the formatting options, which allow you to 

customize the line and fill patterns of your graph objects and graph titles. You can also add color 

gradients, different textures, and pictures to your graph. You can quickly access the Formatting 

dialog box by selecting a graph object and double-clicking in the Graph window. The formatting will 

apply to whatever object is selected in the Graph window. It could be the background, the titles, the 

axes, the graph series, graph markers, etc. The formatting options that display in the dialog box 

depend on what element in the Graph window is selected. 


Layout and Display 



Go to the General Options command (on the Graph menu, click General Options) to change the 

general options for the type of graph you are creating, as well as customize its display. The General 

tab displays options that enable you to customize the markers for the type of graph you selected. For 

3D graphs, you can change the shape of the risers, and the gap between the risers. For pie graphs, 

you can create an exploded pie graph, as well as specify the pie’s rotation, tilt, and depth. For 

bubble graphs, you can customize the size and shape of the marker. In column graphs, you can 

customize the columns. 

Modifying Axis Attributes 

The Numeric Axis Grids & Scales dialog box (on the Graph menu, click Grids and Scales) is 

used to format graph axes, gridlines, and perform scaling. The tabs on the left of the dialog box 

indicate the available axes in the graph: Category Axis, Y1 Axis, Y2 Axis (for dual-axes graphs), X 

Axis (for bubble and scatter graphs), and Series Axis (for 3D graphs). 

When you select an axis tab, the tabs at the top of the dialog box will change to reflect the available 

formatting options for that axis. Each axis is described in this section: 




• Category Axis – All graph types, except bubble, histogram, and scatter graphs, have a category 

axis. The category axis defines the groups of items that are being graphed. When category axis 

labels are displayed, the labels are taken from the first row in your table. 

• Y1 Axis – All graph types except pie graphs have a Y1 axis, or primary numeric axis. This axis 

plots the values from the rows and columns in your table. 

• Y2 Axis – Area, bar, bubble, column, line, and scatter charts can be drawn on two numeric axes, 

Y1 and Y2. When a dual-axes graph is selected, MapInfo Professional automatically divides the 

number of series in half and assigns half of the series to one axis and the other half to the 

second axis. The two axes can be drawn up or out from the same plane/base line or physically 

split into two separate sections on the graph. 

• X-Axis – Bubble, histogram, and scatter graphs include an X-axis. These graphs have two 

numeric axes—a Y1 axis that is drawn on the left side of the graph and an X axis that is drawn 

on the bottom of the graph frame. 

• Series Axis – A series axis is included only in 3D riser and 3D surface graphs. The series axis is 

also called a secondary ordinal or O2 axis. In two-dimensional graphs, the series or rows of 

objects being graphed are shown in the legend area of the chart. In 3D graphs, these objects are 

shown on the series axis, which is on the lower left side of the 3D graph. 

Specifying Titles for Your Graph 

On the Graph menu, click Titles to specify titles for your graph. In the Titles dialog box, check the 

boxes next to the titles that you want to display in the graph. 

The text boxes next to those titles become available. You can use the default titles or create your 

own. Choose from these titles: 

• Title – Displays the main title of the graph centered over the top of the graph. 

• Subtitle – Displays the subtitle of the graph directly underneath the main title. 

• Footnote – Displays a note at the bottom right hand corner of the graph. 

• Category title – Displays a title for the category axis of the graph above, below, or next to the 

category axis labels. 

• Value title (Y1) – Displays a title for the primary numeric (Y1) axis of your graph. Use the title to 

explain what is being plotted on this axis. 

• Value title (Y2) – Displays a title for the secondary numeric (Y2) axis of your graph. In dual-axes 

graphs, the primary (Y1) axis shows some of the groups in the data, and the secondary numeric 

(Y2) axis plots other groups of data. Use the title to explain what is being plotted on this axis. 

• X-Axis title – Displays a title for the X-axis, where applicable. Histogram, bubble, and scatter 

graphs include a numeric X-axis. 




• Series Axis – Displays series labels along the lower left side of a 3D graph. Series titles can 

further describe the information that is being graphed on this series axis. These titles normally 

correspond to the series labels displayed in the legend. 

All graphs can include a title, subtitle, and footnote. Most graphs can also include a Category Axis 

title and a numeric Y1-Axis title. Other axis titles may be available depending on the graph type. 

Titles can be moved from their default positions by clicking and dragging them to the desired 

position. To change other elements in the title, such as the font or the text color, select the title 

directly in the Graph window and choose the Formatting command in the Graph menu. 

Editing a Graph Series 

You can apply formatting changes to an individual series in your graph and to the whole graph. The 

Series Options command in the Graph menu is available whenever a series is selected in your 

graph. If no series is selected, the message "No series is selected" displays. 

To format an individual series: 

1. Click a riser (area, bar, line, marker, pie slice, etc.) or a legend marker to select a series. 

2. On the Graph menu, click Series Options. The Series Options dialog box displays. 

3. Make changes in each of the dialog box tabs and click OK. You can also apply changes as you 

go by clicking the Apply button. Apply saves your changes to the graph without closing the 

dialog box. This enables you to see your changes in the Graph window, continue working, and 

experiment with options without having to close and reopen the dialog box. 

4. Click OK when you are finished. 

The options available in the Series Options dialog box depend on the graph type you have 

selected. Each of the dialog box tabs is explained briefly in this section: 

• General – Contains general formatting options for a series for each type of graph. For instance, 

in 3D column graphs, you can change the riser shape; in bubble graphs and other graph types 

that may use markers such as line graphs, you can change the shape of the markers. In pie 

graphs, you can manipulate the individual pie slices. You can detach a slice from the pie, delete 

a slice, or restore the pie back to its original state. In many graph types, you can also display the 



Working with Multi-Table and Multi-Variable Graphs 

selected series as another graph type. For example, if you create a bar graph, you can change a 

selected series to display as a line or an area, contrasting that series to the rest of the series in 

the graph. 

• Data Labels – Specify whether you want to display data labels for the selected series and where 

you want to place the labels. Data labels show the actual values from your table. 

• Number – Specify how you want to display data label numbers. You can choose from a number 

of categories: general, number, currency, date, time, percentage, fraction, scientific, special, and 

custom. This tab is available when the Data Labels box is checked in the Data Labels tab. 

• Trendlines – Contains formatting and display options for trend lines. This tab is unavailable for 

3D and pie graphs. You can display a trend line according to different types of regression: 

Linear, Logarithmic, Polynomial, or Exponential. You also have several other display options. 

You can display the equation used to create the trend line, show the coefficient values, or specify 

that the trend line display in the same color as the series. 


This section of the chapter provides some examples of ways you can customize your graphs. The 

first example illustrates some of the ways you can customize a pie graph. The second example 

demonstrates how you can customize a 3D graph using the 3D viewing angle feature. 

Exploding a Pie Graph 

Creating a basic pie graph is easy using the Graph wizard. Simply select the table and the fields you 

want to graph. You can also graph a subset of a table, as shown in the next figure, by browsing the 

selection, and using the Save Copy As command to save the selection as a permanent .tab file. 




The General Options for pie graphs let you manipulate the look and rotation of the pie slices easily. 

The left side of the dialog box shows a preview of what the finished pie graph will look like. You can 

change the tilt, or the angle at which you vie the pie. You can give the pie a 3D look by using the Pie 

Depth setting. 

� Some of the files described in this example may refer to MapInfo Professional Tutorial data, 

which is available on the MapInfo web site, http://goto.pbinsight.com/webtutorials. 

You can also rotate the pie or explode the pie. When you explode the pie, you detach all the slices 

away from the center. You can also detach an individual slice away from the pie center using the 

Series Options (on the Graph menu, click Series). 

The following graph shows the same pie graph, based on the General Options settings. 


3D Graphs - Using the 3D Viewing Angle 



The 3D Viewing Angle feature displays your 3D graph at different angles, as well as customize other 

aspects of the graph’s position, such as its rotation and position in the Graph window. The following 

3D graph shows the same selection from the table that was used in the pie graph, but graphs 

different columns from the table. This example rotates the angle of the 3D graph and the changes 

the thickness of the walls of the 3D cube. 

When you choose the 3D Viewing Angle option, preset angles for your graph display. You can 

choose one of these, or use the Advanced options to create your own angle, position, and rotation. 

The Advanced portion of the dialog box displays additional controls that allow you to scroll through 

the presets more quickly, and manipulate the angle and position of the graph manually. 

Use the controls along the bottom of the graph preview to scroll through the preset viewing angles. 

You can also select one from the drop-down list. 


Rotating Your 3D Graph 



Use the options Rotate, Pan, Walls, and Move at the lower right of the dialog box to manipulate the 

graph. In the Rotate tab, you can click directly on the arrows to rotate your graph in the direction 

indicated by the arrow. A preview of the graph in its new position displays above. You can also 

rotate the graph one click at a time using the X, Y, and Z buttons. 

1 Click an arrow to rotate the graph. 

2 Click the X, Y, and Z arrows to rotate the graph one click. 

Panning Your 3D Graph 

Use the Pan tab options to move the graph across the window. Again, click directly on the arrows to 

move the graph in the direction indicated by the arrow, or use the X and Y buttons to move the graph 

one click at a time. Use the Zoom buttons to zoom the graph in and out. 

Customizing Cube Walls 

1 

The Walls tab helps you change the dimensions of the 3D graph walls. You can alter the length and 

thickness of the walls directly using the arrow keys on the wall image on the left side of the tab, or 

use the X, Y, and Z buttons. 


2

Moving Your 3D Graph at an Angle 



The Move tab options are used to move the graph diagonally across the window. Click the arrows on 

the diagram in the Move tab to move the graph in the direction indicated by the arrow, or use the X, 

Y, and Z buttons. The X button moves your graph from the top left to the bottom right of the window. 

The Y button moves your graph from top to bottom. The Z button moves your graph from the bottom 

left to the top right of the window. 

Above, the same graph that was shown earlier is displayed here using a different preset angle. The 

walls of the cube have also been removed, as well as the values for the Value Axis, in the Display 

Status tab of the General Options dialog box. 

All of the 3D Viewing Angle options have been used in this graph. The graph has been rotated 

about 90 degrees from the earlier example. The Pan and Move options have also been used to 

position the graph. And the Walls option has been used to increase the thickness of the floor of the 

cube. 

Choosing a 3D Graph Viewing Angle 

To choose a different Viewing Angle for a 3D graph: 

1. Select Graph > 3D Viewing Angle to display the Choose a Viewing Angle dialog box: 

This dialog box shows a picture of all defined viewing angles. It may contain more or fewer 

viewing angle pictures depending on previous selections in the Advanced Options dialog box. 

To select one of the defined viewing angles: 

2. Select a viewing angle picture. 

3. Select the Apply button to apply the Viewing Angle to your 3D graph. 




4. Select the OK button to exit the Choose a Viewing Angle dialog box. 

5. Select the Advanced Options button to display additional viewing angle selections. 

Selections in Graphs and Their Tables 

Selections you make in your graphed table will also be highlighted in your Graph window. 

Conversely, using the new Graph Select tool, selections in the Graph window change the current 

selection in the graphed table. 

Table Selections 

In a graphed table, any selections you make in the table with the Select tool will be reflected in the 

corresponding Graph window as long as the selected table row or map object corresponds to an 

object in the graph. For example, in a bar graph, one or more of the bars will be highlighted. In a pie 

graph, one or more of the pie wedges will be highlighted. 

The selection in the Graph window uses the same pen and brush styles that are used to highlight 

selected objects in the Map window. 

Using the Graph Select Tool 

When you select objects in a Graph window using the Graph Select tool, you also change the 

current selection in the graphed table. Your Graph window selection must correspond to a row in the 

table. Your Graph window selection will be reflected in the Map or Browser window. 

To select rows in the table being graphed: 

1. Click on the Graph Select tool from the Main toolbar. 

2. Click on a part of the graph that corresponds to a row in the table (riser bar, pie wedge). MapInfo 

Professional updates the current selection. 

This change is reflected in Map and Browser windows displaying the same table. If you click on an 

area of the graph that does not correspond to a table row, the selection is cancelled (like Query > 

Unselect All). 

Shift + Click works the same in the Graph window as it does in the Map and Browser windows; it 

adds or removes the target item to the selection list. 

� For some graph types there is no relationship between the graph objects and rows in the 

table (for example, histogram). For these graph types the Graph Select tool is not available 

and the current selection will not be highlighted in the Graph window. 

If you select an object in the Graph window that does not correspond to a row in the table, any other 

selections in the Graph window are cleared. As in other types of windows, selecting multiple objects 

by shift-clicking works the same way in Graph windows—either adding the target object to, or 

removing it from, the selection. 



Saving a Graph 

Selecting graph objects with the Graph Select tool is not the same process as selecting objects in 

the Graph window to edit the graph object. The default mode is to select graph objects with the 

Select tool in order to edit them. To select graph objects for the purpose of changing the selections 

in the table, you must use the Graph Select tool. In some graph types, there is no relationship 

between the graph objects and the rows in the table, for example, histograms. The Graph Select tool 

is unavailable for these graph types. Selections in the Graph window will not highlight any records or 

map objects in the table. 

Saving a Graph 

Graphs are saved to workspaces. For each Graph window in the workspace, MapInfo Professional 

saves a uniquely named .3TF file in the same directory as the workspace. The name of the graph is: 

, .3TF 

The is the root name of the workspace being saved and 

is the title of the Graph window being saved. For example, if you save a 

workspace named “MY WS.WOR” and it contains a Graph window with the title, “Scatter Graph,” 

MapInfo Professional creates the graph file “MY WS, SCATTER GRAPH.3TF” in the same directory 

as the original workspace, “MY WS.WOR.” 

1. 

Using Graph Templates 

MapInfo Professional stores the various graph template files in folders in the GraphSupport 

directory. The GraphSupport directory is located in the MapInfo Professional directory by default in 

versions 6.0 and earlier. In MapInfo Professional 7.5 files are stored on a per-user basis. Other 

support files containing numerous kinds of fill patterns, as well as the 3D viewing angle files, that 

help you format your graph are also located in this directory. 

Each type of support file stored in the GraphSupport directory is listed in the next table, according to 

the name of the folder in which the files are stored: 

Folder Name File Description 

3D Viewing Angles Files correspond to the preset viewing angles available in the 3D Viewing 

Angle dialog box (on the Graph menu, click 3D Viewing Angle). 

Gradients Files correspond to the preset gradients available in the Choose Gradient 

dialog box (on the Graph menu, point to Formatting and click Fill tab). 

Pictures Files correspond to the pictures available in the Choose Picture dialog box 

(on the Graph menu, point to Formatting and click Fill tab). 


Folder Name File Description 

Location Preferences 



Templates Contains the available graphing templates listed in the Graph wizard 

(Create Graph – step 1 of 2 dialog box). 

Textures Files correspond to the textures available in the Choose Gradient dialog 

box (on the Graph menu, point to Formatting and click Fill tab). 

Using the Directory preferences, you can change the location where MapInfo Professional looks for 

all the support files. To do so: 

1. On the Options menu, point to Preferences and click Directories. The Directory Preferences 

dialog box displays. 

2. In the Initial Directories for File dialog boxes group, select Graph Support Files. 

3. Click Modify. The Choose Directory dialog box displays. It shows the current location of the 

Graph Support files. Navigate to the directory where you want to store the files, and click OK. 

The new location of the files displays in the Initial Directories list. 

4. Click OK to close the Directory Preferences dialog box. 

Although the location of the GraphSupport directory can be changed, the names and locations of the 

support file folders inside the GraphSupport directory cannot. MapInfo Professional looks in the 

GraphSupport directory specifically for the appropriate support folders and files as listed above. 

Saving a Graph Template 

You can easily add to the available set of templates when you create a graph by saving an existing 

Graph window as a template file. For example, you prefer the legend to display on the left side of the 

Graph window instead of on the right (the default position). You can make this modification in the 

Graph window and then on the Graph menu, click Save As Template. 

To save a graph as a template: 

1. Make the modifications in the Graph window that you would like to save as a template. 

2. On the Graph menu, click Save As Template. The Save Graph Template dialog box displays. 

It shows the template folder that corresponds to the type of graph you are saving as a template. 

3. Name your graph template and click Save. 

The next time you create a Graph window, the saved template file will be available in the Graph 

wizard for that graph type. 

� You can save a template file to a location other than the GraphSupport\Templates directory; 

however, it will not be available unless you save it to a folder in the Templates directory. 





Accessing Remote Data 

When your data is remote, whether it is a remote Excel file or an Oracle table, 

the issue of retrieving it gets more complex. This chapter addresses the special 

circumstances that surround remote data access for use with MapInfo 



� Understanding Remote Tables and Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 

� Accessing Data in Remote Spatial Databases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131 

• For information in using Oracle Workspaces, see Using Oracle 

Workspace Tables in MapInfo Professional in the Help System. 

6

Understanding Remote Tables and Databases 

Chapter 6: Accessing Remote Data 


Not all of the data you may need to work with is local. Sometimes you need to graph or display 

spatially data that is on several different computers in different locations. And this data can be in 

different formats and configurations. What MapInfo Professional has to do is synchronize all of that 

data to ensure that it displays properly on a map. 

To access data that is located on a remote Oracle or other SQL Server based DBMS systems, your 

system requires: 

• A database management system such as Oracle, MS Access, SQL Server, etc. 

• Network support required by your DBMS (Oracle-SQL*NET; MS Access-none required) 

If these resources are not in place, you will not be able to access the remote data from MapInfo 

Professional. If you try to connect to this data, warning messages display to explain that you do not 

have the required DLLs. 

Supported Databases and Versions 

For a list of spatial database servers, ODBC drivers, and databases that MapInfo Professional 

supports, see the MapInfo Professional Install Guide. 

To make your database work more productive, MapInfo Professional provides an interface for 

opening remote tables in EasyLoader. This utility gives you the ability to save tables to a remote 

database using Save Copy As and to create new tables on remote databases. Additionally it gives 

you the means to create a new table from existing tables. EasyLoader is available on the Pitney 

Bowes Software Inc. web site. You can also open tables of data from the following databases and 

make them mappable but only for point data: 

About Linked and Live DBMS Tables 

A linked table is a MapInfo Professional table that is downloaded from a remote database and 

retains links to its remote database table. The remote database table is known as a DBMS table. 

When MapInfo Professional downloads a table, it copies the entire contents of the table to the local 

machine. Any changes you make to the copy can be committed to the server table at any time. We 

often recommend that you use linked tables rather than live tables to improve performance. 

� If you are linking to a large table, it will significantly slow down the performance of your 

system. 

You can perform most operations on a linked table that you do for a regular MapInfo Professional 

table. For instance, you can view, edit, copy, and save a linked table just as you could a regular 

MapInfo Professional table. However, there are some things you can’t do to a linked table. For 

instance, you can’t pack a linked table. You can’t modify the table structure of a linked table. 

You can download tables from a relational database management system, such as Oracle, SQL 

Server Spatial, PostGIS, or Access. These downloaded tables can be used stand-alone or remain 

linked to the original server database. You can refresh these linked tables to rerun queries on a 




regular basis using the Refresh button or menu button. After editing in MapInfo Professional, the 

data in a linked table is saved to the relational database management system in a manner that 

resolves any multi-editing conflicts. 

A linked table may use one style for all objects within a table, or contain different styles for each row, 

called per row styles. There are two requirements for setting up per row styles: 

• A row must exist in the DBMS table 

• You must set up a map catalog entry to activate the row style. 

� Setting up a per row styles is optional. 

DBMS Drivers 

Before you can access a SQL database, you must have the appropriate DBMS driver for the type of 

database, and set up a DBMS data source for the data. The DBMS drivers were installed during 

MapInfo Professional installation, or afterwards, using the DBMS Administrator in your Windows 

Control Panel. You can install additional DBMS drivers at anytime using the DBMS Administrator. A 

DBMS driver is a dynamic–link library (.DLL) file that MapInfo Professional uses to connect to an 

SQL database. Each type of SQL database requires a different DBMS driver. 

Linked Tables and Metadata 

MapInfo Professional stores information about a linked table in the .tab file’s metadata, which is not 

displayed on the map. MapInfo Professional uses metadata to manage transactions between 

MapInfo Professional and the server database. Two of the most important kinds of information 

stored in the metadata include the connection string and the query you build from the DBMS Table 

Wizard, or Expert dialog box. 

• For more information, see Using the FInd Command in Remote Tables and Resolving Editing 

Conflicts when Saving a Linked Table in the Help System. 

About Live Access Tables 

You can access remote data as a live access table using MapInfo Professional. It is called a live 

access because there is no local copy of the data, that is, all operations against the data go directly 

to the server. This differs from linked tables, which download a snapshot from the remote database 

into a native MapInfo Professional table. 

You can perform most operations on a live access table that you do for a regular MapInfo 

Professional table. For example, you can view, edit, copy, and save a live access layer just as you 

can a regular MapInfo Professional table. However, you cannot pack or modify a live access table’s 

structure. 

You can create live access tables with or without a cache. The cache is a memory cache, which 

contains only the rows that are in the map display for that window. This optimizes certain operations 

such as ToolTips, labeling, etc. on the map. The cache is automatically updated when the view of 

the map changes, (for example, zooming or panning). 



Accessing Data in Remote Spatial Databases 

When the live access table is creating a new Map window, the initial view is determined by the entry 

in the MapInfo_MapCatalog table. The columns DB_X_LL_DB_X_UR_DB_Y_UR describe a 

rectangular area that is the initial map display. If the live access table is being added as a layer to an 

existing Map window, the layer will be fit to that Map window. 

MapInfo Professional stores information about a live access table in a TAB file. This information is 

known as metadata. MapInfo Professional uses metadata to store information about the live access 

table that is needed to manage transactions between MapInfo Professional and the server 

database. Two of the most important kinds of information stored in the metadata include the 

connection string and the query you build from the DBMS Table Wizard, or Expert dialog box. 

Limitations in Creating a Live Table 

This is a list of known problems/issues with live access: 

• Every table must have a single unique key column. 

• FastEdit is not supported. 

• With MS Access if the key is character, it will not display rows where the key value is less than 

the full column width for example, if the key is char(5) the value ‘aaaa’ will look like a deleted row. 

• Changes made by another user are not visible until the data is refreshed from the server. In 

addition, if cache is on another user’s updates may not appear until the cache is invalidated by a 

pan or zooming out. 

• There will be a problem if a client-side join (through the SQL Select menu item or MapBasic) is 

performed against two or more SpatialWare tables that are stored in different coordinate 

systems. This is inefficient (it is better to do the join in the SQL statement that defines the table). 

• For SQL Server Spatial, you can not access a table, containing geography, that is in more than 

one coordinate system. 

Limitations of Live Access to Remote DBMS Tables 

Using live access tables to determine the number of rows is not appropriate for all tables. It works 

best on large tables, where the number of rows remains stable; that is, new insertions or deletions in 

the table do not occur on a regular basis. 

If the total number of rows stored in the MapCatalog is out of sync with the actual number of rows in 

the table, problems occur. The map will always include all of the map objects, but other things may 

not work correctly. For example: 

• The row count displayed in the Browser will be incorrect. 

• The MapBasic statement to fetch last will not return the correct row. 

Thematic maps, particularly ranged thematic maps, may be wrong. 

• For more information, see Improving Live Access Performance in the Help System. 


To use your RDBMS tables with MapInfo Professional most effectively, you need to set them up so 

that you can store coordinates or more complex spatial data and then retrieve them. This will also 

allow you to geocode your remote table and assign coordinates to each record in the table. 




• There are four prerequisites for storing and retrieving spatial objects in a DBMS table: 

• Coordinate values for the objects must be stored in columns of the remote table as numbers, or 

as a spatial column if the database supports it, such as SpatialWare, or Oracle Spatial. See 

Storing Coordinate Values in a Remote Table for these instructions. 

• A spatial index column may be included to increase performance on queries against the 

coordinates. See Creating a Spatial Index Column for these instructions. 

• You must create a special table on the DBMS system known as the MapInfo_MapCatalog. 

(MapInfo Professional creates this automatically when you use the EasyLoader.) You create 

only one catalog per database. See Creating a MapInfo_MapCatalog for these instructions. 

• You must supply information about mappable tables to the MapInfo MapCatalog using the Make 

Table Mappable command. (This is for tables the EasyLoader does not upload.) See Making a 

Remote Table Mappable for these instructions. 

Storing Coordinate Values in a Remote Table 

The coordinate values for the spatial data must be stored in columns of the remote table. This is a 

data creation task and can be done at any time. Possible methods for adding the spatial columns 

include: 

• There may already be existing coordinate data. 

• Use the EasyLoader application to upload a MapInfo Professional table to a database supported 

by MapInfo Professional. 

• Make a remote table mappable in order to geocode. See Making a Remote Table Mappable in 

this chapter. 

• Add coordinate values to a MapInfo Professional table, export it to a text file, and import it to your 

database. 

For more information on how to use the EasyLoader tool, please view the Tools section of the Help 

System. 

Creating a Spatial Index Column 

To increase performance on queries against the coordinates, a spatial index column can be 

included. This is a data creation task and can be done at any time. 

Creating a MapInfo_MapCatalog 

Use EasyLoader to create a MapInfo_MapCatalog. MapInfo Professional stores information about 

where the spatial columns are located in a special table on the DBMS known as the 

MapInfo_MapCatalog. There must be one catalog per database. The application EasyLoader can be 

used to create this catalog for each database: Oracle Spatial, SQL Server Spatial, PostGIS, and MS 

Access. 

These applications will need to be customized for any other DBMS, or you can follow the procedure 

for manually creating a map catalog. This is a one-time only task per database and is required 

before any tables on that database can be mapped in MapInfo Professional. 


Creating a MapInfo_MapCatalog Automatically 



To create a MapCatalog automatically, use the EasyLoader tool. This tool is part of the toolset that 

ships with MapInfo Professional and is available from the Tool Manager. 

To load the EasyLoader tool: 

1. On the Tools menu, click Tool Manager. In the Tool Manager dialog box, select the Loaded 

check box next to the EasyLoader tool and click OK. The tool is a command in the Tools menu 

for the current MapInfo Professional session. 

To have the tool load automatically every time you start MapInfo Professional, select the 

Autoload check box next to the tool. 

2. Run the EasyLoader tool from the Tools menu. When you upload the first table the 

MapInfo_MapCatalog will automatically be created. If the map catalog does not exist, you will 

click the Map Catalog button to create it under the MapInfo user. If this user does not exist 

EasyLoader will attempt to create it. If a user does not have adequate permissions then the 

creation of the MAPINFO.MAPINFO_MAPCATALOG will not succeed, and the table(s) will not 

be loaded. 

Spatial Index Types 

This table lists the supported Spatial Index types. 

Spatial Index Type Type Number 

MapInfo MICODE schema (any database) 1 

XY schema (any database) 4 

Oracle Spatial Geometry 13 

SpatialWare for SQL Server 14 

Oracle Spatial Annotation Text 16 

SQL Server Spatial (for geometry) 17 

SQL Server Spatial (for geography) 18 

PostGIS for PostgreSQL 19 

SQL Server Spatial with M and Z values (for geometry) 20 

SQL Server Spatial with M and Z values (for geography) 21 

Updating Data Bounds in the MapInfo_MapCatalog 

The MapInfo_MapCatalog currently contains the bounds of the data within the table. This is used to 

determine the map view if the table is opened as the first map in a window. The bounds are set 

either by the EasyLoader when the data is loaded or from the MapInfo Professional tool, Set 

Minimum Bounding Rectangle tool. 




The bounds are automatically adjusted when inserting or updating spatial objects. If the object is 

outside the MBR, it will expand the MBR and update the MapInfo_MapCatalog. Deleting objects 

from the table does not alter the bounds. 

Making a Remote Table Mappable 

MapInfo Professional holds catalog information about mappable tables from the Make Table 

Mappable command. Creating the entry for a table is a once-per-table task and is required before 

this specific table can be mapped in MapInfo Professional. 

The Make DBMS Table Mappable command makes a remote SQL database table (DBMS table) 

mappable in MapInfo Professional. Any MapInfo Professional table may be displayed in a Browser, 

but only a mappable table may have graphical objects attached. Only mappable tables can display 

in Map windows. Use the Make Table Mappable command only for tables that you cannot upload 

with EasyLoader. 

Use the Make DBMS Table Mappable command to provide MapInfo Professional with the following 

information from the remote database table so you can map the table: 

• The column(s) containing the spatial data to map the table (not applicable to relational Oracle 

SDO) 

• The projection used by the remote database table 

• The spatial index column from the remote database table (used by MapInfo Professional to 

speed access of the spatial data and improve performance) 

• The symbol to use for objects 

• Per row styles, if your table is set up for it, and the MapInfo_ MapCatalog has the appropriate 

column structure 

• Object type for Spatial databases 

• Table Bounds (control the extent of the bounding rectangle for the Map window) 

MapInfo Professional takes this information and stores it in a table called the MapInfo_MapCatalog. 

Every time you use a DBMS table MapInfo Professional checks the catalog to see if the table is 

mappable. As a result, you only have to make a DBMS table mappable once. It will always remain 

mappable. However, one spatial index column entry per table is allowed in the Map Catalog. 

Therefore, only one spatial column can be mappable at a time. If the table has more than one spatial 

column and you want to map another spatial column, you must drop the spatial column currently in 

the Map Catalog and make the table mappable using the new column. 

� The projection system is registered in MapInfo Professional’s Map Catalog table when you 

make a table mappable. If the registered projection system is different from the data table, 

then live access to this table may not work correctly. 

Once you have the prerequisites in place you are ready to connect to your data sources and the 

database tables you want to work with. If you are not familiar with the details of your remote 

database type, discuss your needs with your database administrator to find out the basic information 

required to connect to your database. 

• For more information, see Making a DBMS Table Mappable and Changing the Symbol Style in a 

Mappable DBMS Table in the Help System. 


The Help System contains these additional related topics: 

• Understanding Per Row Object Styles 

• Making a DBMS Table Mappable for Geocoding 

• Changing the Symbol Style in a Mappable DBMS Table 

Opening a Connection to an ODBC Data Source 



A data source is the location of a specific database. For example, CUSTOMERS could be the name 

of the data source that provides access to one or more Oracle tables located in a specific directory 

on a specific network drive. Once connected to the CUSTOMERS data source, you could download 

information from any of the Oracle tables into a MapInfo Professional linked table or use the 

information directly by opening the table as live access. You could have several data sources, each 

providing access to different databases in different locations. 

Open Database Connectivity is a standard for accessing disparate database systems. It is the oil 

that moves the wheels of inter-database communication. Pitney Bowes Software Inc. is committed 

to making this important interface work for your organization. 

Before you can download a DBMS table, you must connect to the specific data source where the 

data to be downloaded resides. 

To connect to a new data source through ODBC: 

1. Choose File > Open DBMS Connection. One of the following happens: 

• If you installed the Oracle Spatial (OCI) and ODBC support, this dialog displays. Choose 

whether to create an ODBC or Oracle connection and click New. When you select Oracle 

Spatial, a different process occurs, see Opening a Connection to an Oracle Spatial Data 

Source, p. 137 for these instructions. When you select ODBC, the Select Data Source 


• If the ODBC driver is the only one installed, the Select Data Source dialog displays. 


2. Click New to display the Create New Data Source dialog box. 



From this wizard dialog box you select a driver and choose a name for the connection. 

You can add multiple data sources, each one associating a driver with data you want 

to access using the driver. You need to give each data source a name that uniquely 

identifies that data source. 

3. Select the appropriate driver for this database connection from the list and click Next to display 

the next dialog box. 

To enter the driver-specific keywords for the database you are connecting to, click the 

Advanced button. We recommend you leave the Verify this connection check box selected. 

Click OK to continue. 




4. Do one of the following and click Next to continue: 

• Type the name you want to use to identify this connection in this field or 

• Click the Browse button to identify the location of the connection and save it. 

For example, If you create a data source for an Oracle database that contains customer tables, 

you might name the data source, "CUSTOMERS". 

5. Once you have set up your data source, MapInfo Professional displays the data source names in 

the Select Data Source dialog box, for easy selection. 

Opening a Connection to an Oracle Spatial Data Source 

You can only connect to an Oracle database or the Oracle instant client on the machine if you have 

the Oracle client installed and the OCI driver. 

To connect to a new data source using the OCI: 

1. Choose File > Open DBMS Connection. If you installed the Oracle Spatial (OCI) driver, the 

Open DBMS Connection dialog displays. 

2. Choose Oracle Spatial and click New. The MapInfo Oracle Connect dialog box displays. 




You may need to speak to your Oracle Database Administrator to get this information. 

3. Type your user name and password for the Oracle server connection in the fields provided. Type 

the name of the server on which your tables are located in the Server Name field. Click OK to 

continue. 

4. To access the tables on the selected server, select File > Open and click arrow beside the Files 

of type drop-down list. Scroll to the bottom of the list to find the connection you created. For more 

details about opening a table from this server, see Opening a Database Table from a 

Connection. 

Opening a Connection to a PostGIS Data Source 

You can only connect to a PostGIS database if you have the psqlODBC driver; drivers are supplied 

with PostgreSQL. We recommend using the PostgreSQL ANSI driver. 

� When accessing data in a PostgreSQL/PostGIS database, a table may not display if the 

database is in more than one language and the language character sets are not compatible. 

To connect to a new data source using the psqlODBC driver: 

1. Choose File > Open DBMS Connection. The Open DBMS Connection dialog box displays. 

2. Click New. The Select Data Source dialog box displays. 

3. Select the Machine Data Source tab, and then click New. The Create New Data Source wizard 

displays. 

4. Select a type of data source and then click Next. 

5. Scroll to the bottom of the list and select PostgreSQL ANSI, and then click Next. 

6. Click Finish. The PostgreSQL ANSI ODBC Driver Setup dialog box displays. 




7. Enter information for the following fields: 

• Database – The PostGIS database to connect to. 

• Server – The server location (the default is localhost). 

• User Name – The user name set for the PostGIS database. 

• Password – The password set for the PostGIS database. 

For the SSL Mode field, use the default settings. For the Port field, use the port number 

assigned to the server if different from the default. 

8. Click Test to test the connection using your input values. 

� If you are unable to connect, then check the username and password. 

9. Click Save. 

The data source name displays in the list under the Machine Data Source tab. 

Opening a Database Table from a Connection 

Once you have opened a connection to a database, the connection is available each time you select 

File > Open and click the Files of Type drop-down list. From there you can open live or linked tables 

located on that server through the connection you have created. 

To open a particular table based on the data source connection: 

1. Choose File > Open to display the Open dialog box. 

2. From the Files of type drop-down list, select the database connection you created in Opening a 

Connection to an ODBC Data Source on page 135. 




This list displays the remote tables available on the selected data source. 

Connections you add to the Files of type drop-down list appear at the bottom of the list and 

contain a sequential number that indicates the order in which the connection was added. 

� If you do not see the table you are looking for in the list, click the Filter Tables button and 

check the filter options to see if your view is restricted. Check the Owner drop-down list 

too to see if there are other schemas on the server you selected that may contain the 

table you are looking for. 

3. Select the table in the list you want to open and click Open. The Open DBMS Table Options 





Use this dialog box to select the type of view you want of your remote data. 

• Click Standard Mode to open particular rows or columns of the selected table. The 

instructions in this description assume you are opening the table using Standard Mode. 

• Click Expert Mode to create a SQL Query to open particular rows or columns of the selected 

table. 

4. Click the Column Filter button to specify the columns to download. The Column Picker dialog 

box displays. 

An asterisk (*) appears in the Selected list when you first open this dialog box. If you 

leave the asterisk, MapInfo Professional retrieves all the columns in the table from the 

remote database. 

a. To move the columns you want to display from the table from the Available group to the 

Selected group using the arrow buttons. The single arrow keys move one selected column at 

a time. The double arrow buttons move all the columns at once from one list to the other. 

b. To change the order of the selected columns in the Selected list, highlight the column you 

want to move and click the Up and Down buttons until the column is positioned correctly. 


c. Click OK to complete your selections. 



� If the table is mappable, the Available list also displays an additional column called 

OBJECT, which refers to the spatial column. You can select it to download point objects 

from the table. If the table is spatialized, MapInfo Professional downloads lines, points, 

and polygons depending on what the table contains. 

5. Click the Row Filter button to select the row data that you want MapInfo Professional to 

download. 

Leave this dialog box as it is to retrieve all of the rows pertaining to the columns you 

selected. 

a. Select the column, operator, and value entries that match the data you want to retrieve from 

the selected table. 

� This is the same as specifying the WHERE clause in a SQL query. 

b. In the Column list, choose the column(s) from which you want to filter rows. 

c. If you are filtering rows for one column, select a column, operator, and value. If filtering rows 

on more than one column, select a column from the next drop-down list. This also activates 

the next row of fields for data entry. 

d. Choose how you would like to filter the rows using the Operator and Value boxes. See Notes 

for Completing the Row Picker Query in the Help System for assistance in completing these 

entries the way you want them. 

Click OK when you have finished filtering the rows. 




6. When you have completed your Standard Mode selections, do one of the following: 

• To open a linked table, click Download data (Linked Table) to download the data and 

create a linked table. Clear the box for live access. 

• To open a live access table, click Live Access and choose whether to click the Cache check 

box. 

Select the Cache check box to keep attributes and objects that have been read in memory. If 

you perform an operation such as zooming in they do not need to be fetched from the 

database (since MapInfo Professional looks in memory for a record you may not see the 

latest updates). If you select the Cache check box, another user’s updates may not appear 

until the cache is invalidated by a pan or zoom out operation. 

Clear the Cache check box, to retrieve all of the data from the database whenever it is 

needed. This option provides the most current data but it is be less efficient. 

7. Click OK to retrieve the data you selected and save it to the table name you specified. 

• For more information, see Opening a DBMS Table from the Open Table Dialog Box and Notes 

for Completing the Row Picker Query in the Help System. 

Read-Only Support Spatial Objects with Z and M Values 

Spatial data that is stored in SQL Server Spatial Geometry and Geography field types may have Z 

and M values. MapInfo Professional can not edit this type of spatial data and ignores the Z and M 

values, so you must view these tables as read-only in MapInfo Professional. If you edit this type of 

spatial data in MapInfo Professional, saving the table back to the original SQL Server Spatial table 

does not preserve the original Z and M values. 

The MapCatalog has the following spatial types for tables with Z and M values: 

20 – Geometry read-only support of objects with Z/M values. 

21 – Geography read-only support of objects with Z/M values 

Creating a New DBMS Table 

To create a new DBMS table: 

1. Choose File > New Table. The New Table dialog box displays. 

2. Specify how you want the table opened, (Browser, Mapper, Current Mapper). 

3. Specify whether you want the table structure to be based on an existing table or you want 

MapInfo Professional to create a new table structure. 

4. Press the Create button. The New Table Structure dialog box displays. 

5. Specify the field name, field type, number of characters (width), and whether or not the field is to 

be indexed for each field in your new database. 

You also indicate whether the table is mappable by associating graphic objects with records and, 

if so, whether the map is to be an earth or a non-earth map. 

If you are using the structure from another mappable table, then MapInfo Professional sets the 

new table projection to the projection of the source table. Collectively, this information is the 

structure of your database. 

6. Press the Create button to display the Create New Table dialog box. 




7. Select a DBMS database from the Save as type drop-down list. The DBMS connection controls 

display, (Owner: box and Filter Tables: button). 

8. Specify a file name and press the Save button. The New DBMS Table Options dialog box 

displays. 

This dialog box has three tabs, General, Spatial, and Styles. However, If you cleared the Make 

Table Mappable check box in step 4 then the DBMS Table Options dialog box will only have the 

General tab. Press the Help button to display specific information corresponding to the tab you 

are currently in. 

Follow the instructions listed below, depending upon the tabs that display. 

9. Click the General tab and complete the appropriate selections. 

TAB file location 

Displays the name and path of the .tab file that will be created. You can manually type a 

filename or use the Save As dialog box (via Browse button) to choose a filename. MapInfo 

Professional uses the last directory where you saved a DBMS .tab when constructing the 

default filename full path. If this directory does not exist, then the Remote Tables preference 

directory is used. The filename part of the default path is based on the name of the specified 

DBMS table name. 

Browse (…) button 

Displays the Save As dialog box so the user can choose a .tab filename. Initialized with the 

text in the .tab filename edit box. 

Download Data (Linked Table)/Live Access/Cache buttons 

Download Data 

When the Download Data (Linked Table button is selected) you have a linked table. 

Unchecked provides Live Access. MapInfo Professional will remember the last used settings 

and continue to use them until you change the settings. 

Cache 

When the Cache check box is selected, you are using the local buffer. Access time to data is 

faster but you don’t get the most current version. 

When the Cache check box is cleared, you are always reading the remote data, which is the 

most recent version. 

� The Cache check box should only be enabled if the Live option is selected. Refresh 

occurs when you zoom, pan, or pack. 

Key Column: 

Allows you to specify a key column for the new table. Without a key column a DBMS table 

cannot be open as live access and can only be opened read only as Linked. 

If the Key Column check box is selected, then the corresponding combo box is enabled. You 

can either choose a column that was specified in the New Table Structure dialog box or 

specify a new column by typing into the combo box’s edit control. 




By default the Key Column check box is selected and a new column is specified. The default 

name of the new column depends on the DBMS connection: MI_PRINX for Oracle Spatial, 

SW_MEMBER for all others. 

10. Click the Spatial tab and specify the index type and coordinate column selections. 

Index Type: 

This setting determines the type of spatial indexing used on the table. Types MapInfo 

(MICODE) and XY are always available. Server specific types may also be listed. The index 

type selection affects the state of the other three controls in this tab. 

Index Column: 

This control is used to specify the primary spatial index column. It's always available, except 

when the index type is XY. 

X Coordinate: 

This control is used to specify the X or latitude column in the database. It's only available for 

MapInfo (MICODE) or XY types. You can either choose a float column that was specified in 

the New Table Structure dialog box or specify a new column by typing into the combo box’s 

edit control. 

Y Coordinate: 

This control is used to specify the Y or longitude column in the database. It's only available 

for MapInfo (MICODE) or XY types. You can either choose a float column that was specified 

in the New Table Structure dialog box or specify a new column by typing into the combo 

box’s edit control. 

11. Click the Styles tab and complete the appropriate selections. 

Per Row Style 

Check the Per Row Style box to enable per row symbology. The style info for each object is 

maintained in a character column of the table. If unchecked, then the style of all objects in the 

table is determined by the default object styles (maintained in the Map Catalog). If Per Row 

Style is checked, then the Style Column combo box is enabled. By default Per Row Style is 

checked and a new column named MI_STYLE is specified. 

Style Column: 

You can either choose a character column that was specified in the New Table Structure 

dialog box or specify a new column by typing into the combo box’s edit control. 

Default Object Styles: 

Symbol/Line/Region 

The default object styles are used when Per Row Style is not turned on for a table, or the 

style info for a particular object does not exist (the style column for that row is empty). The 

default style info specified here is entered into the map catalog. The default symbol, line and 

region settings within MapInfo Professional are used to initialize these controls. 

12. Press OK to open the DBMS table according to your specifications above. 


Refreshing Live and Linked Remote Tables 



When you open a remote table as a “Live” table, MapInfo Professional enables the Refresh DBMS 

Table toolbar button so you can refresh the data in that table. This same functionality is 

available for linked remote database tables. 

You can refresh a MapInfo Professional linked table with the most recent data residing on the 

remote database for that linked table. 

To refresh a linked or live table: 

1. Do one of the following: 

• Use the Refresh DBMS Table button on the DBMS toolbar 

• On the Table menu, point to Maintenance and click Refresh DBMS Table. 

Using either method, the Refresh Table dialog box displays. 

2. Choose the name of the table to be refreshed from the refresh table list. 

3. Choose OK. The specified table is refreshed. 

Unlinking a Table from a Remote Database 

You can unlink a table from its remote database with the Unlink DBMS Table command. Unlinking a 

table removes the link to the remote database. This command does not work if edits are pending on 

the linked table. You must first update any pending edits with the Save Table command. The table 

linkage is removed. Fields that were marked non-editable are now editable. The end product is a 

normal MapInfo Professional base table. 

To unlink a table: 

1. On the Table menu, point to Maintenance and click Unlink DBMS Table. The Unlink Table 


2. Choose the name of the table to be unlinked from the Unlink table list. 

3. Choose OK. The specified table is unlinked. 

Saving a DBMS Table 

You save changes to an MapInfo Professional linked or live table the same way you save a regular 

MapInfo Professional table, with the Save Table command. 

Saving a linked or live table results saves the records on the remote database. But before MapInfo 

Professional allows records from a linked or live table to be updated, it evaluates the records in a 

process called conflict resolution. 

If MapInfo Professional finds conflicts between the data on the remote database and any records in 

the linked table since it was downloaded, the Resolve Conflicts dialog box automatically appears. 

Use this dialog box to resolve conflicts. 

• For more information, see Saving Changes Made to a DBMS Table in the Help System. 


Conflict Resolution for Linked or Live Tables 



Because the records in a remote table are from a remote database, it is possible that other users 

may have changed or deleted them on the remote database since the table was downloaded into 

MapInfo Professional. As a result, conflicts may exist between the data residing on the remote 

database and the new data that you want to upload to the remote database. 

When saving a remote table, if MapInfo Professional finds conflicts between the data on the remote 

database and any records in the remote table since it was downloaded, the Resolve Conflicts dialog 

box automatically displays. Use this dialog box to resolve conflicts as explained in the next table. 

This process will be invoked whenever an attempt to save a remote table detects a conflict in an 

update. The dialog box allows the user to choose which fields from the conflicting records will be 

used to update the database. Three instances of the record being updated must be considered: 

• The original server state of the record (the record as it appeared when initially extracted from 

the database). 

• The current local state of the record (the record as it appears in the session of MapInfo 

Professional making the update, possibly after editing by the user). 

• The current server state of the record (the record as it appears in the database at the time of 

the update). 

A conflict exists when the original state of the record does not match the server state. This implies 

that another user has updated this database since it was extracted by MapInfo Professional. 

The Conflict Resolution dialog box displays once for each conflicting record. At any point in this 

process, you may choose to leave this interactive mode and have the rest of the conflicts resolved 

automatically. In that case, you can use all local values or all server values to resolve the conflicts in 

the records. 

For each conflict found during a commit, a modal dialog box displays. This box will display enough 

information for you to decide which data values to use to update the row in question. 

Type of conflict Default resolution 

Value changed on server, local value unchanged Use server value 

Value changed on server, local value changed Use local value 

Click OK to save the selected values to update this record. 

Column 

Shows the name of the column in the record that has data which is in conflict and needs to be 

resolved. If the column name is too long and does not fit into the list box, a truncated 

representation will be shown instead. Its full value displays in the Column field. 

Original DBMS 

Shows the original data as it appeared when extracted from the database. If the original data 

is too long and does not fit into the list box, a truncated representation will be shown instead. 

Its full value can be displayed in the Original field. 




Current MapInfo Professional 

Shows the data as it appears in the MapInfo Professional linked table you are trying to save. 

The MapInfo Professional field will be blank if the record has been deleted from the MapInfo 

Professional database. If the data from the MapInfo Professional linked table is too long and 

does not fit into the list box, a truncated representation will be shown instead. Its full value 

can be displayed in the MapInfo Professional field. 

Current DBMS 

Shows data as it appears in the remote database at the time of the update. (This data might 

have been changed by another user since it was downloaded into an MapInfo Professional 

linked table.) The Current field will be blank if the record has been deleted on the remote 

database, after being downloaded into an MapInfo Professional linked table. If the current 

data from the remote database is too long and does not fit into the list box, a truncated 

representation will be shown instead. Its full value can be displayed in the Current field. 

Current MapInfo Professional 

Select this check box to update the remote database with the value from the MapInfo 

Professional linked table. 

If the current record on the database or the MapInfo Professional record was deleted, then 

this check box is not available. Instead, you must use the MapInfo Professional or Current 

button. 

Current DBMS 

Select to retain the current value on the remote database. If the current record on the 

database or the MapInfo Professional record was deleted, then this check box is not 

available. Instead, you must use the MapInfo Professional or Current button. 

MapInfo button 

This button selects all the MapInfo Professional values. If the record you are trying to resolve 

was deleted from the MapInfo Professional database, selecting the MapInfo button will 

delete the record from the remote database. If the record you are trying to resolve was 

deleted from the remote database, selecting the MapInfo button will insert the new record 

into the remote database. 

Current button 

This button selects all the current DBMS values. If the record you are trying to resolve was 

deleted from the MapInfo Professional database, selecting the Current button will ignore the 

deletion and retain the current record in the remote database. If the record you are trying to 

resolve was deleted from the remote database, selecting the MapInfo button will insert the 

new record into the remote database. 

Column 

Shows the full name of the column highlighted in the list box. 

Original DBMS 

Shows the full value of the original data highlighted in the list box. 

Current MapInfo 

Shows the full value of the MapInfo Professional data highlighted in the list box. 

Current DBMS 

Shows the full value of the current remote database data highlighted in the list box. 




Stop Commit 

The Stop Commit button terminates the entire update. A second dialog box confirms that 

this is what you really want. 

Automatic 

The Automatic button causes the interactive conflict resolution to end. A dialog box displays 

to allow you to select the automatic conflict-resolution modes you want to use for the 

remainder of this update. You can select one two automatic modes from the dialog box. You 

can accept MapInfo Professional values, or the values currently residing on the remote 

database. 

• For more information, see Saving a Copy of a Table to a DBMS Table in the Help System. 

Disconnecting from a Remote Database 

Disconnecting from a remote database server is a simple operation. 

To disconnect from a remote database server: 

1. From the DBMS Toolbar, do one of the following: 

• Click the Disconnect DBMS button. 

• On the File menu, click Close DBMS Connection. 

Both operations display the Close DBMS Connection dialog box. The Connection list displays 

all the open connections. 

2. Select the connection(s) you want to close and click OK. The selected connection(s) close. 

Working with Styles in DBMS Tables 

Using Per Row Styles for DBMS Table Layers 

Per Row Styles allows the use of different object styles on a remote database. You can modify the 

styles of individual objects or groups of objects and save them to a DBMS table. To use Per Row 

Styles, the DBMS table must be set up correctly, and your MapInfo MapCatalog must have the 

appropriate structure: 

• The MapCatalog must contain columns that support the use of styles. They are: 

RENDITIONTYPE, RENDITIONCOLUMN, and RENDITIONTABLE. 

• The map table itself must have a character column wide enough to store the complete style 

string. Style strings vary in width. We recommend a minimum of 50 characters be provided. If 

you plan to use custom symbols, which use much longer strings, allow 200 characters. 

• The entry for the table in the MapCatalog must be set correctly. This means that the 

RENDITIONTYPE is 1, and the RENDITIONCOLUMN contains the name of the column that will 

contain the style string. This entry is set by EasyLoader if the MapCatalog contains the new 

columns, or it may be set using the Make Table Mappable function. 


Changing the Symbol Style in a Mappable DBMS Table 



The Change DBMS Table Symbol command allows you to change the symbol attributes for the point 

objects in a mappable DBMS table. 

1. On the Table menu, point to Maintenance and click Change DBMS Table Symbol. The Select 

DBMS Table is displayed. The dialog box only displays mappable DBMS tables. 

2. Select a DBMS table to display the Change Table Object Style dialog box. Use the dialog box to 

specify new style attributes for the objects in the selected table. 

3. You must close, reopen, and refresh the linked table for the style change to take effect. 

Converting Unsupported Geometries in Oracle, SQL Server SpatialWare, 

SQL Server Spatial, and PostGIS 

Some times when you are creating a Map in MapInfo Professional and you are storing the results in 

Oracle, SQL Server Spatialware, SQL Server Spatial, or PostGIS, you create maps which use 

geometries that are not supported by these DBMS engines. 

• Oracle does not support arcs, ellipses, rectangles, and rounded rectangles. 

• SQL Server Spatial does not support arcs, and lines that do not have distinct points. 

• SQL Server SpatialWare does not support arcs, ellipses, and rounded rectangles. 

• PostGIS does not support arcs, ellipses, rectangles, and rounded rectangles. 

� If you have created a map you do not want to lose but cannot save to the DBMS of your 

choice due to unsupported geometries, then use the Save As command and save the map 

without the unsupported geometries. 

Oracle Geometry Conversion Behavior 

If you try to save a map with unsupported spatial geometry types in Oracle, these are the results: 

• Spatial Geometry Types with All Unsupported Objects: If you have created a map that might 

contain all of the unsupported objects and you are trying to save to Oracle, this message 

displays: 

Table has unsupported objects (rounded rectangles, rectangles, 

ellipses or arcs). Convert to regions and/or polylines? 

Click Yes to convert the unsupported objects to regions or polylines; you would select No to 

decline to convert the unsupported objects. If you decline, you cannot save the map you have 

created to the Oracle database. A confirmation message explains that the operation is canceled. 

• Spatial Geometry types with Region Objects Only: If you have created a map that contains 

region objects only and you are trying to save to Oracle, this message displays: 

Table has unsupported objects (rounded rectangles, rectangles, or 

ellipses). Convert to regions? 

Click Yes to convert the unsupported objects to regions; you would select No to decline to 

convert the unsupported objects. If you decline, you cannot save the map you have created to 

the Oracle database. 




• For Spatial Geometry types with Line Objects Only: If you have created a map that contains 

line objects only and you are trying to save to Oracle, this message displays: 

Arc is an unsupported object. Convert to polylines? 

Click Yes to convert the unsupported objects to polylines; you would select No to decline to 


the Oracle database. 

SQL Server Spatial and SQL Server SpatialWare Geometry Conversion Behavior 

If you try to save a map with unsupported spatial geometry types in SQL Server Spatial or SQL 

Server SpatialWare, these are the results: 


contain all of the unsupported objects and you are trying to save to SQL Server Spatial or SQL 

Server SpatialWare, this message displays: 

Table has unsupported objects (rounded rectangles, ellipses or 

arcs). Convert to regions and/or polylines? 



created to the SQL Server Spatial or SQL Server SpatialWare database. 


region objects only and you are trying to save to SQL Server Spatial or SQL Server SpatialWare, 

this message displays: 

Table has unsupported objects (rounded rectangles or ellipses). 

Convert to regions? 



the SQL Server Spatial or SQL Server SpatialWare database. 


line objects only and you are trying to save to SQL Server Spatial or SQL Server SpatialWare, 

this message displays: 




the SQL Server Spatial or SQL Server SpatialWare database. 

PostGIS Geometry Conversion Behavior 

If you try to save a map with unsupported spatial geometry types in PostGIS, these are the results: 


contain all of the unsupported objects and you are trying to save to PostGIS, this message 

displays: 

Table has unsupported objects (rounded rectangles, ellipses or 

arcs). Convert to regions and/or polylines? 



created to the PostGIS database. 





region objects only and you are trying to save to PostGIS, this message displays: 

Table has unsupported objects (rounded rectangles or ellipses). 

Convert to regions? 



the PostGIS database. 


line objects only and you are trying to save to PostGIS, this message displays: 




the SQL Server Spatial database. 

• For Spatial Geometry of type Rectangle: If you have created a map that contains rectangle 

objects and you are trying to save to PostGIS, this message displays: 

Cannot upload Object - Rectangle object type is not supported in this 

table. Operation canceled. 

Click OK. You cannot save the map you have created to the PostGIS database. 

Supporting Oracle Spatial 

Oracle Spatial is an implementation of a spatial database from Oracle Corporation. You can install it 

in addition to the MapInfo Professional ODBC Connectivity component. Although it has some 

similarities to the previous Oracle SDO relational implementation, it is significantly different. Oracle 

Spatial maintains the Oracle SDO implementation via a relational schema. However, MapInfo 

Professional does not support the Oracle SDO relational schema via the Oracle Call Interface (OCI). 

MapInfo Professional does support simultaneous connections to Oracle Spatial through the OCI and 

to other databases through ODBC. 

The Multipoint and Collection object types are translated into the Spatial Objects Oracle 

MULTIPOINT and COLLECTION, respectively, via Oracle OCI and vice versa. However, Oracle's 

COLLECTION object is broader in scope than MapInfo Professional’s Collection, which only allows 

one REGION, one polyline and one multipoint. Therefore, conversion from MapInfo Professional 

object to Oracle objects and the conversion from Oracle objects to MapInfo Professional objects 

may not be a one-to-one translation. 

The following table shows the relationship between MapInfo Professional objects and Oracle 

objects. 

Oracle Spatial Objects MapInfo Professional Objects 

MULTIPOINT Multipoint 

COLLECTION Collection 

Point (cluster) Multipoint 

Line String Polyline 




Oracle Spatial Objects MapInfo Professional Objects 

Multiple Line String 

Polygon REGION 

Multiple Polygons 

The table indicates how Oracle Spatial objects are translated into MapInfo Professional objects. All 

point elements in an Oracle COLLECTION will be translated into one multipoint in a MapInfo 

Professional Collection; all Oracle Line objects (including single and multiple) will be translated into 

one MapInfo Professional polyline; and all Oracle Polygons (including single and multiple) will be 

translated into one MapInfo Professional REGION. Therefore, when an Oracle COLLECTION is 

modified and then saved back into Oracle Server by using MapInfo Professional, the original 

structure of the Oracle COLLECTION object may be changed if it is more complicated than the 

MapInfo Professional Collection. 

Oracle Spatial Requirements 

To connect to Oracle Spatial within MapInfo Professional, you must have the Oracle Spatial or 

Oracle 9i and 9i release 2, or 10G client installed. See your Oracle documentation for detailed 

information. 

Primary Key used for New Table Creation or When Saving a Remote Copy 

An Unique key ensures that an entry does not match any other entry from a different record. If a 

record does not contain any value, no error is reported. A Primary key requires that every record 

contains a unique value in that field. By making these values Primary keys, we enforce that every 

record has a value in this field. 

Primary Key Auto-Increment for Oracle Databases 

The Primary auto-increment feature manages the Primary key value for you. When you add a new 

record to a remote Oracle table, MapInfo Professional locks the table, checks for the highest value 

of the Primary key of the table, increments it by one (1), and then puts that value in the Primary key 

field. SQL Server Spatial users do not require this feature as the server-side software manages the 

Primary key automatically. 

Use the Auto Key check box in the Open DBMS Table Option dialog box to enable this feature. 

When you select the Auto Key check box, the Primary key field is not editable and the Unique key is 

automatically incremented. If you do not select this check box, the Primary key field remains 

editable, which supports backwards compatibility. 

To access this feature: 

1. From the File menu, click Open and select an Oracle database from the Files of Type dropdown 

list. Click OK to display the Open DBMS Table Options dialog box. 

2. Select the Auto Key option to increment the Primary key of the selected table automatically for 

any new records. 


3. Click OK to continue. 



Oracle Object Map Verification Supporting Object/Map Validation 

The Check Regions command enables you to remove region line segments that intersect each 

other. You can also think of this as nodes within a single polygon of a region where the polygon 

intersects itself, as when a node has more than 2 line segments emanating from it. 

These cases can be broken down into two other instances. 

• If a polygon has 2 looped sections, and the path traced by the nodes of the polygon follow a 

cursive figure 8 pattern, then we call this a Figure 8 polygon. 

• If the same 2 looped polygon can trace its path as a cursive capital letter B, then we call this a 

Bow Tie polygon. 

We think of Figure 8 as worse than Bow Tie because the area of a Figure 8 is always incorrect, while 

the area of a Bow Tie can be correct and accurate. Both Figure 8's and Bow Ties are detected. 

Supporting SpatialWare 

SpatialWare is a Pitney Bowes Software Inc. Corporation product that helps users store, access, 

manage, and manipulate spatial data as a standard part of their business data. You can query both 

spatial and non-spatial data within a single SQL Server query using SpatialWare. All of the strengths 

of SQL Server as a relational database are extended to spatial data using SpatialWare. Spatial data 

may for example be directly managed and edited by many different users simultaneously. 

Bound Objects in SpatialWare Spatial Queries 

For both linked and live access tables, spatial objects in SpatialWare and Oracle Spatial queries are 

now submitted as a bound (binary) object. This change has been made for all implementations of 

SpatialWare: Oracle and Oracle Spatial. Previously, a string was generated for the object. Because 

of the limitations on the string size, polygon complexity was also limited. Submitting spatial objects 

as bound objects removes this limitation. The string describing the spatial object will be stored in the 

.tab files and reconstructed into a bound object when the table is opened. The SW SPW lib will be 

used to construct the bound object from the SpatialWare string. 

Creating Legends from/for a Live Table 

You can retrieve unique styles from the table using the Create Legend wizard. You can retrieve 

styles from the map catalog, if performance is your primary concern, but if you prefer a more visually 

descriptive and appealing graphical representation of the unique map styles in your live table, you 

can create legends from a live table instead. 

When are unique map styles available for a live table? 

In general, remote databases have no consistent way of storing styles for geographic data. MapInfo 

Professional gives you two different ways of associating styles with geographic data for remote 

databases. The first way is to specify a common style for a database table in the map catalog, which 

is used for all records in that database table. The second way is to have an additional column for the 




database table that specifies a style for each record in that table. (MapInfo Professional uses the 

map catalog to keep track of the style column for a database table.) Unique map styles are available 

for a database table when it has this designated style column. 

To see this functionality: 

1. Open a remote DBMS connection and select a live table for display. 

2. From the Map menu, click Create Legend to display the Create Legend Step 1 of 3 dialog box. 

3. Select a layer to create a legend from and click Next to display the Create Legend Step 2 of 3 

dialog box. For purposes of this demonstration, click Next to display the Create Legend Step 3 of 

3 dialog box. 

4. In the Styles from box, there are three options. The first option, map catalog, provides the 

existing support and is still the default for live tables. 

• Select map catalog to retrieve the default styles for the selected legend frame from the map 

catalog. Use this option when you are concerned with performance. Retrieving map styles 

from live tables on a remote database can take a long time, but retrieving a default style from 

the map catalog can be significantly faster. Remember that styles in the map catalog may not 

be as visually descriptive as the other options. This is the default option for live tables, but is 

disabled for other types of tables. 

• Select unique map styles to retrieve all unique object styles for the live access table. 

MapInfo Professional retrieves all unique map styles from the database table for a more 

visually appealing legend. For extremely large tables, this option can take longer than the 

first option. This option is selected by default when the legend frame is not a live access 

table. 

• Select unique values in a column of the selected table to retrieve the styles associated with 

the values saved in a particular column in the database table for a more visually appealing 

legend. For extremely large tables, this option can take longer than the first option. 

5. Then click Save frame setting to Metadata to preserve the choice you made in this dialog box. 

When you re-open this dialog box the settings from the metadata are used as default values 

instead of the system set default values. There is legend metadata for the Styles from radio 

buttons that we preserve. 

• File Data Source — Displays all file DSNs (data source names) and subdirectories 

contained within the directory displayed in the Look In box. Double-clicking a DSN connects 

to the data source. 

• Look In — Displays the current directory in which the subdirectories and file DSNs display. 

Click the Down Arrow to the right of the text box to display the entire path. 

• DSN Name — Displays the file DSN name selected in the File Data Sources list, or you can 

enter a new file DSN name. 

• New — Adds a new file data source. If you click this button, the Create New Data Source 

dialog box appears with a list of drivers. Choose the driver for which you are adding a file 

DSN. After you click Next, you may specify the keywords for the file DSN. See Opening a 

Connection to an ODBC Data Source on page 135, for instructions on creating a new data 

source. 

6. If your connection type is Oracle Spatial, the MapInfo Professional Oracle Connect dialog box 

displays. 




7. Enter the server name, user name, and password, and then click OK. 

When you have chosen or created a connection the Open DBMS dialog box displays. It contains 

a list of tables for that connection, which displays in the Tables field. The directory path of the 

database connection or the database name also displays. This field is not present for data 

sources that do not provide this information. 

8. Click the name of the table you want to download to highlight it. 

9. As an optional step, use the Filter button to select which types of tables to list. The default 

shows Tables, View, and Synonyms, and hides System tables. 

10. Click Open. The Open DBMS Table Options dialog box displays. 

For data sources that make use of owners, such as Oracle, the Owner field is activated. It allows 

you to list tables owned by different users. 

• See Troubleshooting DBMS Table Issues in the Help System. 


Drawing and Editing 

Objects 

The drawing and editing capabilities in MapInfo Professional allow you to create 

and customize an unlimited variety of objects for your maps. Easy-to-use 

drawing tools and commands are accessible from the Drawing Toolbar. You 

can also display nodes, line directions and centroids to give you better control 

when editing objects. 


� Understanding the Drawing and Editing Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158 

� Drawing Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 

� Drawing Polygons and Polylines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 

� Drawing Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165 

� Working with Text on the Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169 

� Editing Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170 

7

Understanding the Drawing and Editing Tools 

Chapter 7: Drawing and Editing Objects 


MapInfo Professional has a complete set of drawing tools and editing commands. These tools allow 

you to draw and modify objects on your map. You can also use these tools to customize the colors, 

fill patterns, line types, symbols, and text on your map. 

However, these tools and commands give you more than the ability to modify your map. You can 

draw a variety of objects that you can use to perform powerful geographic analyses. For example, 

you can draw circles, polygons, and other bounded objects. You can then search for records within 

those boundaries. 

� You can only draw and edit objects on a map when the layer the object is on is editable. 

We have covered making a layer editable in depth elsewhere in this User Guide. See Making the 

Layers “Editable” on page 60. 

� We have increased the size of the allowed objects in MapInfo Professional. That is, we have 

increased the number of nodes permitted per object for regions, polylines, and multipoints 

and we have increased the number of polygons allowed in a multipolygon region and 

increase the number of polylines in a multiple segment polyline. 

• For more general information, see Understanding the Drawing and Editing Tools in the Help 

System. 

Using the Drawing and Editing Commands 

There are nine drawing tools, each located in the Drawing toolbar, which you can review in 

Reviewing the Drawing Toolbar on page 39. The Drawing toolbar contains six additional buttons 

to aid you in drawing and editing. 

Icon 

Tool 

Button Description 

Reshape Toggle in and out of Reshape mode with this button when you want to add, 

delete, or move nodes in an editable layer (also available on the Edit menu). 

Add Node The Add Node button allows you to put additional nodes on an object for 

more precise editing. 

Line Style Displays the Line Style dialog box where you can change the color, width, 

and type of selected line objects or set new defaults for future objects. 

Region 

Style 

Displays the Region Style dialog box where you can change the fill pattern 

and border of selected region objects or set new defaults for future objects. 


Icon 

Adding a Node 

Nodes can be added only to lines, polylines, and regions. 



The maximum number of nodes for regions and polylines is 1,048,572 nodes for a single polygon 

region or polyline. The limit drops by seven nodes for every two additional polygons. 

To add a node: 

Tool 

Button Description 

Symbol 

Style 

1. Choose Drawing Toolbar > Add Node button. 

2. Move the cursor to the point on the segment where you want to add a node. 

3. Click to add the node. Press the Backspace key to delete the last node added. 

4. Choose Edit > New Row, a new row is added to the bottom of the table. 

Adding Nodes to an Object (Overlay Nodes Command) 

To add nodes to an existing object: 

1. Select one or more objects in the editable map layer of the active Map window. These are the 

objects to which you want to add nodes. 

2. Choose Objects > Set Target. The objects you selected in Step 1 appear in a different style to 

indicate that they are the editing targets. 

3. Select one or more objects from any layer of the active Map window. Presumably, these are 

objects that intersect your target object(s). 

4. Choose Objects > Overlay Nodes. 

Displays the Symbol Style dialog box where you can change the symbol 

type, color, and size of selected objects or set new defaults for future 

objects. 

Text Style Displays the Text Style dialog box where you can change the font, size, 

color, and attributes of selected text or set new defaults for future text and 

labels. 

MapInfo Professional adds nodes, if appropriate, to the target object(s). 

When you choose Overlay Nodes, MapInfo Professional adds nodes to the current target objects. 

MapInfo Professional calculates all points where the target objects intersect the currently selected 

objects; MapInfo Professional then adds nodes to the target objects at the points of intersection 

unless the target objects already have nodes at those locations. If the target objects do not intersect 

the selected objects, MapInfo Professional does not add any nodes. 



Drawing Objects 

If you use Overlay Nodes to add nodes to a line, MapInfo Professional converts the line to a 

polyline. If you use Overlay Nodes to add nodes to an ellipse, rectangle or rounded rectangle 

object, MapInfo Professional converts the object to a region. Overlay Nodes does not affect text or 

point objects, and you may not use point or text objects to add nodes to other objects. 


Drawing objects in MapInfo Professional is easy. Once you have made the layer editable, choose 

the appropriate tool. Using the shape tools, you can draw arcs, ellipses, circles, lines, rectangles, 

and rounded rectangles on your map. You can either draw the object directly on the Cosmetic Layer 

(and save it to another or new layer later) or make a map layer editable and draw the objects there. 

Once you have drawn the object, you can move the object, delete it, copy it to the Clipboard, or 

paste it to another Map window. 

Also, you can delete the last node of the object by pressing the Backspace key. If there is only one 

node left in the object, it will not be deleted. 

Specifying an Object's Geographic Attributes 

If the selected object is editable (resides in an editable layer) then you can specify attributes for the 

object by accessing that Objects Attributes dialog box. 

� If the object is not editable then you can only access a read-only dialog box. 

To specify an object's geographical attributes: 

1. Make the layer containing the map object editable. Choose Map > Layer Control and click the 

Editable icon to make the layer editable. 

2. Select the map object. 


• Choose Edit > Get Info. 

• Double-click the map object with the Select tool. 

The Object Attributes dialog box displays. 

4. Type in attributes as appropriate. 

5. Click OK. 

Use the Help search option to locate information for a specific map object (for example, Arcs, Points, 

Polygons etc.). 


Reverting to a Previous Version 



Use Revert Table in the File menu to access a previous version of a table when you have made 

changes that you do not want to make permanent and haven't saved yet. Revert Table replaces the 

selected table currently in memory with the last version saved. 

To revert to a previous version: 

1. Choose File > Revert Table to display the Revert Table dialog box. Here you can choose the 

table to revert to (that is, return to its previous state). 

2. Once you have chosen a table to revert, MapInfo Professional prompts you on whether you wish 

to discard the changes you have made in the table. 

3. Click Discard. MapInfo Professional discards the changes you have made to the table. 

However, if you have second thoughts, click Cancel. 

• For instructions on drawing specific objects such as lines, polylines, squares, etc., see Drawing 

Objects in the Help System. 

Using the Ruler Window as You Draw 

The Ruler window will show the distance of line segments as you draw, as well as the cumulative 

distance of the drawn object. If necessary, a rubber-banding line displays to show what points are 

being used to compute the distance. The Ruler window also displays what type of calculation is used 

to compute the distance: Spherical or Cartesian. The type of calculation depends on the projection 

of the map. 

The following drawing tools will display a rubber-banding line: 

• Arc 

• Ellipse 

• Rectangle 

• Rounded Rectangle 

You can also use the Ruler window with the Marquee Select and Radius Select tools. Just click the 

Ruler tool to display the Ruler window. 

If the Ruler window is not active, the drawing and selection tools noted above do not display 

distance. The rubber-banding line does not display. 

• For more instructions, see the Measuring the Distance between Two Points topic in the Help 

System. 

Object Styles 

MapInfo Professional draws objects using the default color, fill pattern, line type, symbol, and text 

settings for the layer you are drawing on. The default style can be set in the Styles Preferences 

dialog box. 

To change the style of an existing object: 

1. Choose Map > Layer Control and click the Editable icon to make the layer editable. 



Drawing Polygons and Polylines 

2. Select the object and choose the appropriate style command from the Options menu. 

The style commands are also available on the Drawing Toolbar. These commands also set the 

styles for any subsequent objects to be drawn on the layer. 

3. Save your changes. 

For closed shapes such as circles and squares, you can change the fill pattern and color, the style 

and color of the border, and the line width of the border. For arcs and lines, you can change the type 

of line, its color, and the width of the line. In addition, you can use interleaved line styles to create the 

appearance of intersections for overlapping intersections and lines within a single layer. Interleaved 

line styles are available for use with lines of the same style and color (they can be different widths). 

Interleaved line styles are not available for solid lines or borders. 

Any edits to an object’s default settings will be applied during the entire work session until you make 

new changes. To save the settings, you must save the table where the object resides. 

You can also change the display of an object in Layer Control. In the Layer Control window, select 

the layer and then click the Layer Properties button. In the Layer Properties dialog box, under the 

Layer Display tab, check the Style Override check box. Click the Style button to bring up the 

appropriate style dialog box. 

� The settings you specify are temporary unless you save the table to a workspace. 

• For more information, see Using Interleaved Line Styles in the Help System. 

Printing Fill Patterns 

When it comes to printing objects, some fill patterns print faster than others. In general, the fill 

patterns on the top row of the pattern list in the Pattern drop-down list print the fastest. The 

difference in printing speed varies from printer to printer. The fill patterns on the top row are also the 

ones most likely to plot correctly on pen plotters, although results depend on which plotter driver you 

use. For more coaching on printing fill patterns, review the MapInfo Professional Printer Guide, 

which is located in the Documentation subfolder of your installation directory. To review the list of fill 

patterns available in the MapInfo Professional product, see Fill Patterns Used in MapInfo 

Professional in the MapInfo Professional Help System. 


Drawing polygons is different than drawing other shapes because you are creating a region on 

which you can perform other editing and analysis. 

For instance, you want to create school districts for your map. You have a street map of your town to 

guide you in defining the school district boundaries. 

To create a polygon: 

1. Choose the Polygon tool. The tool becomes a cross hair. 

2. Click a starting point for the polygon. 


3. Continue to click to add segments to the polygon. 



4. When you are ready to complete the object, double-click the last end point. 

You can delete the last node by pressing the Backspace key. 

� If there is only one node left in the object it will not be deleted. 

You can then use the Combine command to combine this region with another, reshape the region, 

etc. 

Polylines are made up of multiple line segments that are treated as one object. Unlike lines created 

with the Line tool, you can smooth polylines into a continuous curve using the Smooth command. 

Again, you can delete the last node by pressing the Backspace key. 

� If there is only one node left in the object it will not be deleted. 

Drawing Orthogonal Polygons 

You can draw orthogonal (right angle) polygon line segments when you press the Ctrl key. Using 

this key you can draw the polygon at 45 degree increments relative to the slope of the last line 

segment. This functionality works for Add Line, Add Polyline, the Ruler Tool, Custom Polyline and 

Custom Polygon tools, and the Add Polygon operations. 

This functionality is useful when you want to draw perpendicular lines at an angle rather than 

horizontal to the map. 

� Snap and Autotrace functionality must be turned off to use this feature, because when these 

features are activated, the Ctrl and Shift keys have other purposes. The Shift and Ctrl keys 

also do not operate when you are using the Polygon Select tool. 

To see this functionality: 

1. From the File menu, click Open and select a map to display. 


3. Select the Polygon tool from the Drawing toolbar. 

� This works with any of the Line, Polyline, the Ruler Tool, Custom Polyline and Custom 

Polygon tools as well, we are just using the Polygon tool as an example. 

4. Click and draw a single line in any direction other than horizontal following these directions: 

• To draw the next segment perpendicular to the last segment, press Ctrl while dragging the 

cursor. 

• To draw the next segment perpendicular to horizontal, press Shift while dragging the cursor. 


Tracing Polylines and Polygons 



When you are drawing a new polyline or polygon, you can use Autotrace to trace nodes from 

existing polylines or polygons. The Autotrace tool is only in effect when you are using a 

polygeometric tool (Add Polyline, Add Polygon, or Select Polygon) and Snap is on. 

To trace the nodes of an existing polyline or polygon: 

1. Press the S key to activate Snap Mode. 

2. Press the T key to activate Autotrace. 

3. Click on the first node of the polyline/polygon you want to trace. 

4. Move the mouse to another node of the same object. Follow the procedure below for the type of 

object you are tracing: 

• Polyline: Hold down the Shift key or the Ctrl key and click. 

• Polygon: Hold down the Shift key for the shorter set of nodes or the Ctrl key for the longer 

set of nodes and click. 

Pressing the Shift or Ctrl keys highlights the trace path. Click to automatically trace the 

segments between the nodes and add them to the polyline/polygon you are drawing. 

5. Continue until you have traced the entire polygon/polyline and right-click to end. 

� Autotrace only one object at a time; clicking nodes in different objects will produce a straight 

line between the two nodes. 

Converting a Polyline to a Region 

To convert a polyline into a region: 



3. Select the polylines you want to convert to a region. 

4. On the Objects menu, click Enclose. The Create Region Objects From Enclosed Areas dialog 

box displays. 

5. Click OK to convert the polyline you selected to a region. 

You can also convert regions to polylines. For these instructions, see Converting Regions to 

Polylines on page 181. 

Splitting Polylines at Nodes 

A single-section polyline can be split into two polylines at a selected node. 

To split a single-section polyline: 

1. From an editable layer, select a single-section polyline 

2. Click the Reshape button from the Drawing tools. 


3. Select one node (other than the first or last node). 

4. Select the Objects menu, then Polyline Split at Node 


Drawing Symbols 

5. If a layer is not a cosmetic layer or if the polyline is in the Layout window, the Data 

Disaggregation dialog box will appear. Here the user can specify how data is disaggregated. 

6. After selecting the data disaggregation method, click OK. The selected polyline will be split at the 

node into two polylines. 

Error messages display under the following conditions: 

• You did not select a node of the polyline. 

• You selected a beginning or ending node of the polyline. 

• You selected more than one node of the polyline. 

• The object that you selected is not a polyline object. 

• You attempted to split a multi-segmented polyline (only single-section polylines can be split). 

Converting Objects into Polyline Objects 

If a region contains lakes or islands, and you convert that region to a polyline, the polyline has 

multiple sections. Each lake or island comprises one section of the polyline. When you convert a 

circle or ellipse into a polyline, the polyline contains 102 nodes. When you convert an arc into an 

ellipse, the number of nodes depends on the starting and ending angle of the arc. If the arc spans 

180 degrees (for example, the starting angle is zero and the ending angle is 180), a polyline based 

on the arc will contain 52 nodes; if the arc spans 90 degrees, a polyline based on the arc will contain 

26 nodes; etc. 


• Displaying Distance while Drawing Objects 

• Displaying Distance, Length, Perimeter, and Area Calculations 

• Specifying Distance, Length, Perimeter, and Area Calculations for a Particular Map 


Symbols on your maps make your map more expressive and easier to understand. This section 

explains how to change a style currently used by MapInfo Professional and create your own custom 

symbols. We also discuss in detail the rules governing symbols. 

To draw symbols, make the layer you want to draw the symbols to editable and choose the Symbol 

tool. Place the cursor where you want the symbol to be and click. The symbol displays using the 

default symbol style settings. 


• Adding Point Symbols to your Map 

• Specifying Symbol Styles of Point Objects 

• Changing the Location of Point Symbols 


Changing a Symbol Style on a Map 

To change a symbol’s style on a map: 

1. Select the symbol with an appropriate selection tool. 


• Click the Symbol Style button 

• On the Options menu, click Symbol Style 

Using either method, the Symbol Style dialog box displays. 



� The options in the Symbol Style dialog box may be different depending upon the size and 

complexity of the image. 

Here you can change the symbol, font, color, and size, as well as create background effects and 

bold face for symbols. 

Select the Display at Actual Size check box to see the symbol you selected at the size it was 

originally created. 

Click the Reload button to refresh the list of custom symbols stored in the Application Data 

CUSTSYMB directory. Select this button if you added a new custom symbol and do not see the 

symbol(s) in the list. 

Click the Full View button to display the entire view of custom symbols in a separate window. 

This button displays only when you select the Custom Symbols font type. You use this button 

when the preview is too large to display completely in the sample area. 

3. Make the desired changes, and click OK. 

The symbol displays with the style changes you specified. These settings also apply to any 

subsequent symbols you draw until you change the settings. 


Supported Fonts for Symbols 



You have many options when drawing symbols. We support a number of TrueType fonts that carry 

their own symbol sets. We have also organized a number of symbol fonts around different 

industries, such as real estate and transportation, making it easy for you to find the symbols you 

need. MapInfo Professional supports the following fonts: 

• MapInfo Cartographic 

• MapInfo Transportation 

• MapInfo Real Estate 

• MapInfo Miscellaneous 

• MapInfo 3.0 Compatible Symbols (vector symbols, available as a True Type font in MapInfo 

Professional): the 36 shapes from the MapInfo symbol set 

• MapInfo Oil & Gas 

• MapInfo Weather 

• MapInfo Arrows 

• Installed font symbols: symbols available from the installed fonts that offer a symbol set 

• ERS Fonts (For more about these fonts, see Homeland Security Symbols in the Help 

System.) 

• Custom symbols: from here you can access user-created bitmap symbols which you have 

saved to the CUSTSYMB directory. This directory is created during MapInfo Professional 

installation. See Working with Custom Symbols on page 167 for more about this process. 

The MapInfo Symbols font is a TrueType font. When you use these symbols, the Background and 

Effects options in the Symbol Style dialog box are unavailable. 

Working with Custom Symbols 

You can create and use your own custom bitmaps as symbols in MapInfo Professional. To access 

these custom symbols, place them in the CUSTSYMB directory and select them from the Custom 

Symbols option in the Font list of the Symbol Style dialog box (Options > Symbol Style). All of the 

custom symbols in MapInfo Professional are stored in the CUSTSYMB directory. If you cannot find 

this directory, there are a couple of places you could check. The location of this file depends largely 

on the administration of your computer, the version of MapInfo Professional you use, and the 

location of your installation directory. 

Usually, this directory is located in Program Files\MapInfo\Professional\ (or one of its subdirectories) 

or in \Documents and Settings\user’s login directory\Applications Data\MapInfo\MapInfo\version 

number\. If you cannot find this directory, click Start and Search and search for \CUSTSYMB on 

your system. 

� If you add custom symbols while you are working in MapInfo Professional, open the Symbol 

Style dialog box and click the Reload button to ensure that the new symbol(s) you have 

added display. Otherwise, you have to exit MapInfo Professional and re-enter it to get the 

new symbols to display in the Custom Symbols list. 




When you change the style of a custom symbol, the Effects options in the Symbol Style dialog box 

change. You can either show a background or apply a color. 

• Show Background displays the custom symbol with the background color with which it was 

created. 

• Apply Color replaces all non-white pixels with a color you choose from the color palette. 

• Display at Actual Size shows the symbol at its actual size. 

When you are creating extended custom symbols we recommend you check the Show 

Background check box if you do not require transparency. This setting improves performance 

significantly during exporting and Drag and Drop operations. 

MapInfo Professional ships with custom symbols that you can use to enhance your maps. 


• Understanding the Custom Symbol Types 

• Understanding the Custom Symbol Sizes, Shape, and Color Rules 

• Adding User-Defined Custom Symbols 

Creating a Custom Symbol 

To create a custom symbol: 

1. Create your own custom symbol and save it as a bitmap. 

2. Place the bitmap in the directory you have assigned for symbols. 

3. Restart MapInfo Professional if it is running. 

4. Open your map and make the map layer where you want to place the symbol editable. Choose 

Map > Layer Control and click the Editable icon to make the layer editable. 

5. Choose Options > Symbol Style to display the Symbol Style dialog box. 

6. Click the Font drop-down menu and choose Custom Symbols. 

7. You must click the Reload button to view the newly added custom symbol. 

8. Select your custom symbol and choose OK. 

9. Click on the map using the Symbol tool to display your custom symbol. 

� The bitmap file has to be 256 color and under 128k in size. Bitmaps should also be the same 

dimension in x and y. 

For more information, see Finding the Custom Symbol Directory in the Help System. 


Displaying Overlapping Symbols 


Working with Text on the Map 

When point objects display at the same coordinate, you can miss the significance of their proximity 

because the data overlaps each other, preventing you from making the connection. 

The Dispersed Groups symbol font gives you a way to display symbols that represent different 

organizations, events, or services that occupy the same coordinate location without overlapping 

each other. When you zoom out from the coordinate point, these symbols display around the 

coordinate point side by side. This font is installed when you install MapInfo Professional. 

This symbol style is useful in several industries: 

• Crime mapping: See multiple incidents at the same address and for traffic incident analysis 

• Insurance: See multiple policy holders, policies, claims, or inspection requirements at the 

same address 

• Wireless telecom: See multiple assets on the same mast/tower 

• Health care: See multiple incidents at the same address 

• Retail: See multiple attributes of a retail store, for example what internal franchised 

departments it contains or specific services that it offers. 

• For specific instructions, see Displaying Overlapping Symbols in the Help System. 

Working with Text on the Map 

Although the labeling feature takes care of most of your text needs, you will still need to create text 

objects with the Text tool to annotate your map or layout (for example, map titles and subtitles). 

Unlike labels, text objects have no connection to data. 

To create text, make sure the layer you want to draw the text to is editable and choose the Text tool. 

The cursor changes to an I-beam. Place the cursor where you want the text to be and type in the text 

you want. 

To enter text onto a map: 

1. Click the Text button in the Drawing toolbar. The cursor turns into an I-beam when moved 

over the active window. 

2. Click the cursor at the place on the map, layout, or data displayed in the Browser window where 

you want to enter the text. A blinking cursor appears. In a Browser, press Tab to move to the 

next cell. 

3. Type the desired text. The text will appear at the blinking cursor as you type. 

4. When you want to move to a new line of text press Enter. 

5. When you are finished entering text, press Esc or click the Select button in the Main toolbar 

and click the mouse somewhere else on the Map or Layout. 

� The font used is the current font, as indicated in Options > Text Style. 


To change the style of the text: 

1. Select the text with the Select tool. 



Editing Objects 

• Click the Text Style button in the Drawing toolbar 

• Choose Options > Text Style 

Using either method, the Text Style dialog box displays where you can change the font, the size, 

color and create various effects such as haloing or drop shadows. 

These settings will remain in effect for any text you subsequently draw on the map until you 

change them. 

3. To save changes, on the File menu, click Save. To save objects drawn to the Cosmetic Layer, 

on the Map menu, click Save Cosmetic Objects. 


1. In all likelihood, you will need to change or edit some of the objects you have drawn or mapped. 

To begin this process, you need to make the layer that you want to change editable (on the Map 

menu, click Layer Control, and then click the Editable icon for the layer). 

To edit an object: 

1. Select the object with the Select tool. 

If the object is a line, edit handles appear at either endpoint. 

If the object is a boundary or region, edit handles appear at the outer corners of the object. 

2. Drag the object to a new position or change its line style, fill pattern, or symbol. 

3. On the File menu, click Save to save your changes. 

To delete an object: 

1. Click the object with the Select tool. 


• On the Edit menu, click Clear or on the Edit menu, click Cut. 

• Press the Delete key. 

Using either method, MapInfo Professional deletes the object. To view an object’s nodes, 

centroids, and line direction when editing and drawing, set the conditions in the (Layer Control) 

Layer Properties dialog box. 


Positioning and Sizing your Map Objects 



To move an object to a new location, make the object’s layer editable and click the object to select it. 

Hold down the mouse button for at least one second until the cursor turns into a four-headed arrow. 

Drag the object to its new location and release the button. The object maintains its shape. 

To move an object (in an editable layer) one pixel at a time, click it and press and hold the Ctrl key 

and press the Arrow button corresponding to the direction you want the object to move. To move 

the object 10 pixels at a time, press and hold the Ctrl and Shift keys and press the Arrow button 

corresponding to the direction you want the object to move. 

Also, if you click the on the fifth edit handle (rotate handle) and hold down the mouse button, you can 

rotate the highlighted box to the desired angle. A rubber banding box is drawn representing the 

bounds of the rotated object. If you press and hold Shift key while the rubber banding box is being 

drawn, the rotation will be limited to 45 degree increments. 

Moving Objects on the Map 

You can move selected objects within its editable map layer easily. 

To move an object on the map: 

1. Click your map to make it active. 

2. Make the layer where the object is located editable. Choose Map > Layer Control and click the 

Editable icon to make the layer editable. 

3. Select the object(s) using the Select tool. 

If you select more than one object at a time to move, the objects move in the same way. Take 

care to ensure that you do not move an object off the map or off land by mistake. 

� When you move the objects, you move them all at once, maintaining their positions 

relative to one another. 

4. Do one or all of the following: 

• To move the selected object(s) using the mouse, hold down the mouse button and drag the 

object to its new location 

• To move the selected object(s) one screen pixel at a time, press and hold the Ctrl key and 

press the Arrow key in the direction you want the object(s) to move 

• To move the selected object(s) 10 screen pixels at a time, press and hold the Ctrl and Shift 

keys and press the Arrow key in the direction you want the object(s) to move 

� Since the moves are made in screen pixels, the zoom level affects how far the object is 

moved. 

Offsetting Objects on the Map 

The Offset feature makes a copy of the object(s) you select from the original source object(s) and 

saves them in the original data file. 




You can both move and offset the objects you select using this process. The difference between 

these two operations is whether MapInfo Professional makes a copy of the data (as in the case of 

copy) or simply moves the objects and stores the new value in the original table. 

To move/offset selected objects on the map: 

1. Click your map to make it active. 

2. Make sure a layer is editable. Choose Map > Layer Control and click the Editable 

make the layer editable. 

icon to 

The offset/move functionality is available when any layer is editable, not just when the objects 

you want to move or offset are in the editable layer. However, you can only move an object 

within its editable layer. Copy is always permitted as long as a layer is editable. 

3. Select the object(s) using the Select tool. 

4. On the Objects menu, click Offset to display the Offset Objects dialog box. 

5. To move your selected objects, enter or select from the following options and click OK to apply 

the changes. To copy your selected objects to offset them, enter or select from the following 

options and click Next. Then go to step 6. 

• Angle — To offset your selected object at an angle, type the angle (in degrees) in this field. 

The new object is created based on the original object and is offset in the direction of the 




angle you specified, measured from the positive X-axis. If you enter a positive angle, the 

object is offset counterclockwise; if you enter a negative angle, the object is offset clockwise. 

• Distance/Units — To set the offset distance and units, type the distance and select the units 

in the Distance box. The list of units is as follows: inches, links, feet, U.S. Survey feet, yards, 

rods, chains, miles, nautical miles, millimeters, centimeters, meters, and kilometers. 

� MapInfo Professional takes the default units from the map window in which you've 

selected the object. 

• Create Copy — Click this option to create a copy of the selected object(s) in the data. When 

you complete this process, MapInfo Professional saves the copy to the editable layer. 

• Move Objects — Click this option to move the object without creating a copy in the data. You 

can only move an object within its own editable layer. When you move objects, the Data 

Aggregation dialog box does not display, since you are only moving the data within the layer. 

• Copy or Move Distance Using — The option you select in this box depends largely upon 

the projection of your source map. If your map has a latitude/longitude projection, MapInfo 

Professional enables the Spherical type only. If you are working with a non-Earth projection, 

MapInfo Professional enables the Cartesian type only. 

When you click Spherical, MapInfo Professional calculates the copy/move distance by 

mapping the data into a Latitude/Longitude On Earth projection. 

When you click Cartesian, MapInfo Professional calculates the copy/move distance by 

considering the data to be projected to a flat surface and distances are measured using 

Cartesian distance calculations. 

6. The Data Aggregation dialog box displays if one of these conditions are true: 

• You clicked the Create Copy option 

• You selected objects in a different table from the table associated with the editable layer 

• The editable layer is not the cosmetic layer and has no text associated with the geographical 

objects in it 

You may notice that the only controls available to you in this dialog box are Blank, Value, and 

No Data. 

Type a value you will remember in the Value field of this dialog box. For more information about 

data aggregation, see Aggregating and Disaggregating Data on page 280. 

7. Click OK to copy the data and offset the objects you selected. 

Rotating Objects on the Map 

To rotate an object or objects by a specific angle, use the Rotate Objects tool, which is available 

whenever you have selected an object(s) in an editable layer in a Map or Layout window. 

To rotate an object or objects in a Map or Layout window: 

1. On your editable layer, select the object(s) you want to rotate. 

2. On the Objects menu, click Rotate to display the Rotate Objects dialog box. 




3. In this dialog box, you specify the angle and the anchor point of the rotation. Type the rotation 

angle in the Rotation field. 

� The rotation angle can be positive (counter clockwise) or negative (clockwise). 

4. Determine the anchor point by doing one of the following: 

• Accept the default anchor point of the selected object(s) by leaving the X and Y coordinates 

that display in these field as they are 

� The default anchor point varies depending upon how many objects you have selected 

and the kind of objects they are. See Understanding an Object’s Default Anchor Point 

on page 175 for more about default anchor points. 

• Type new entries in the X and Y coordinate fields to select a new anchor point 

• Click the Pick from Map button and click the anchor point you want on the Map or Layout 

window. Click the mouse button only once to establish this point. 

� When the Pick from Map button is disabled, you can select locations directly from the 

open map. If a map is not open, you can select another tool (like the Select tool) and use 

that tool instead of the Pick from Map functionality. 

To return to the default anchor point, click the Reset Anchor button. 

5. Decide whether or not you want to lock the anchor point. Click the Lock Anchor Point Position 

check box to lock the anchor point. 

When you lock the anchor point, you ensure that the anchor point will not be recalculated when 

you return to the Map or Layout window. If you do not lock the anchor point, MapInfo 

Professional recalculates the anchor point based on the rotated selection. Once the objects are 

rotated, they may have a different anchor point. 

� You cannot maintain an anchor point lock when you change the selection from the Map 

window to the Layout window or from the Layout to the Map window. 

6. When you have completed these entries or selections, click OK to rotate your object(s). 


1

Understanding an Object’s Default Anchor Point 



When rotating objects in an editable layer, the default anchor varies depending upon how many 

objects you are rotating and the kind of objects you select. If you select: 

• A single object (not a polyline), the default anchor point is the object's centroid 

• A single polyline or several objects, the default anchor point is the center of the polyline’s or the 

selected objects minimum bounding rectangle (MBR) 

• Multiple objects, the default anchor point is the center of the MBR of the selected objects 

Changing your Map Object Attributes 

When you double-click a region, line, point or text object with the Select tool, MapInfo Professional 

displays an Object Attribute dialog box. This dialog box gives you the object’s size, its position, and 

other information specific to the object. 

For example, if you double-click a region, MapInfo Professional displays the perimeter, centroid, and 

area. It also shows the type of distance calculation that was used to obtain these values. 

If the layer is Selectable but not editable, you can only view these attributes. If the layer is also 

editable, then you can change these attributes by typing new values into the text boxes of the dialog 

box. The illustration above shows the Object Attribute dialog box for a region object in an editable 

layer. You can also access this dialog box on the Edit menu (click Get Info). 

Changing an object’s size and position with the Object Attribute dialog box gives you much greater 

control over its exact size and position than you have through drawing it on the screen. For example, 

you have a list of ten radio towers and their X and Y coordinates. You could geocode these points 

using the Create Points command. However, if you bring up the Points Object Attribute dialog box 

and type the new X and Y coordinates, you can create ten points with the Symbol tool and then 

individually place them in the correct location. 

You can also use the Text Object Attribute dialog box to change the point’s actual text. For example, 

you have typed the title “World Population” on a Map window. You want to fix your typographical 

error. Bring up the Object Attribute dialog box for the text object. You can correct your error in the 

box that displays the text. 

• For more information, see Changing Attributes for Multiple Layers in the Help System. 


Reshaping Map Objects 



You can reshape regions, polylines, lines, arcs and points. A region is an object created with the 

Polygon tool. You cannot reshape objects created with the Rectangle tool, the Rounded Rectangle 

tool, or the Ellipse tool. 

To reshape an object: 

1. Select an object with the Select tool. 


• On the Edit menu, click Reshape 

• Use the Reshape button on the Drawing toolbar. 

You are now in Reshape mode. MapInfo Professional draws nodes at every juncture where two 

polyline or polygon line segments meet. 

3. To reshape the object, move the nodes, add nodes, or delete nodes from the object. 

To move a node, click it and, while holding down the mouse button, drag the node to the desired 

location. The line segments connected to the node are moved to a new position. 

To add a node, click the Add Node tool from the Drawing Toolbar, position the cursor where you 

want to add the node, and click the mouse button. MapInfo Professional adds a node. You can 

move this node or delete it, just as you would any node. 

To delete a node, position the cursor over the node, click it, and press the Delete key. To delete 

the last node when creating a polyline or polygon, click the Backspace key. 

The Reshape command is very useful when you are creating sales territories or other merged 

boundaries. For example, you are merging postal code boundaries together to create school 

districts. Some postal code boundaries fall into more than one school district. Use the Reshape 

command to reshape the school district to incorporate a section of a postal code boundary. 

Selecting Multiple Nodes 

Reshape mode allows you to easily select nodes of an existing object and copy and paste them, 

drag them to reshape the object, delete them, etc. To trace an existing object, we recommend that 

you use the autotrace feature, which is explained in the next section, Snap to Nodes. The following 

illustrations show how to copy the border between Kentucky and Indiana. 

1 

2 

1 Select the object. Click Reshape mode to display the nodes. 2 Select the nodes you 

want to copy. 


3 Choose Copy and Paste to display the new objects with edit handles. 

4 Click and drag the object to move to another location. 

To reshape an object (such as the state of Kentucky): 

1. Select Kentucky to enable Reshape mode. 



2. Select the first node with the Select tool. Shift-click the last node to be copied. MapInfo 

Professional selects all nodes between following the shortest route. (To select all nodes except 

those between the shortest distance, use Ctrl-click with the Select tool.) 

3. On the Edit menu, click Copy to copy the nodes to the clipboard. 

4. Paste the duplicate nodes onto the map. On the File menu, click Paste. The object you copied is 

drawn on top of the original object as a polyline. 

5. To move the polyline click it and drag the polyline to a new location. 

Using “Snap To” to Select Nodes and Centroids 

3 

4 

You can use nodes to reshape an object and align objects with each another. MapInfo Professional 

refers to this process as snapping to a node. In the Map window, regions, polylines, lines, arcs and 

rectangles all have nodes that can be attached (or snapped) to each other. When the Snap mode is 

enabled, MapInfo Professional searches for nodes and centroids as you move around a window. 

MapInfo Professional automatically snaps the cursor to a node or centroid when the cursor comes 

within the snap tolerance of the node. The crosshairs display when the node is “snapped to”. 

� You can also use the snap to capability to snap to visible centroids in region objects. 

To toggle Snap to Nodes, press the S key. The Status Bar displays with the word “SNAP” when 

Snap mode is activated. When you activate the Snap mode, a circle displays around your cursor 

showing the size of the tolerance of the Snap mode in pixels. The S key acts like a toggle on/off 

switch. You can set the snap tolerance in pixels in the Map Window Preferences dialog box. The 

Snap Tolerance field allows you to specify a tolerance. If you set the snap tolerance to 3 pixels, 

whenever you move the cursor within 3 pixels of a node, the cursor will snap to the node. 

Snap mode works in the Map Window and Layout window (but not raster layers). It works with all 

MapInfo Professional tools in the Main and Drawing toolbars except Pan, Drag Map, and Text tool. 

Additionally, snap mode works on object types, including regions, points, multipoints, collection 

objects, lines and polylines, rectangles, and arcs. It is not available for text objects, ellipses, and 

rounded rectangles. You set the Snap in one window at a time and can save it with your workspace. 




Snap to Nodes applies to all selectable layers—this is useful if you are drawing an object in one 

layer and want to attach it to an object in another layer. If you do not want to snap to objects in 

certain layers, make those layers unselectable. 

Snap and Thin Settings Saved in Metadata 

The Snap and Thin settings remove self-intersections and overlaps in your data based on values 

you establish. When you complete your selections and entries in the Set Values for Node Snap & 

Thinning dialog box, MapInfo Professional saves these values to the table’s metadata. This allows 

the Snap and Thin changes to be retrieved after the table is saved or you have left MapInfo 


Setting Snap Preferences for a Visible Snap Area 

The Map Window Preferences dialog box has a Display Snap Radius check box that controls 

whether or not the snap radius displays when Snap mode is on. The snap tolerance (in pixels) can 

also be selected. 

• From the Options menu, select Preferences, then Map Window to display the Map 


On the Editing tab, under the Digitizing Options section, you can change the snap tolerance to make 

the snap radius larger or smaller (measured in pixels). 

If you clear Display Snap Radius check box, then the radius does not display when snap mode is 

turned on. Remember to click OK to save your preferences. 


Move Duplicate Nodes 



In most maps, nodes of various objects are usually connected, especially for adjoining streets and 

boundaries that share a common border. Using the Move Duplicate Nodes Option under Map 

Window Preferences, you can specify where MapInfo Professional looks for connected nodes in 

order to move them in unison. Choose the None of the Layers button to turn the option off. Choose 

the Same Layer button so that connected nodes in the same layer are moved when one of them is 

moved. 

Autotracing Objects 

You can trace the nodes of an object, for example, the Yucatan in Mexico using the Polyline or 

Polygon tools. This makes it easier to digitize objects that share a border because you don't have to 

re-digitize the shared border. You can also use this feature to trace an existing polygon/polyline 

network, for example, a street, a county, or some other polyline or boundary. A Status Bar entry 

displays showing that this mode is enabled. 

To trace a border: 

1. Open a Map layer you want to trace a polygon or polyline on. 

2. Make the layer editable. 

3. Press the S key to turn on the Snap process and the T key to turn on the Autotrace functionality. 

4. Select the Polygon or Polyline tool from the Drawing toolbar and select the first node 

you want to trace. 

5. Drag the mouse along the nodes of the line or object you want to trace. 

The rules that apply to AutoTrace are: 

• To enable the AutoTrace mode, you must use the Polygon or Polyline tool 

• You must press S to enable the Snap feature to use the AutoTrace feature 




You can use the Shift/Ctrl key functionality for this mode. When you AutoTrace a polygon, the path 

contains the least number of nodes necessary to complete the AutoTrace, which is similar to the 

Shift key behavior. If you want to trace the longer path, press the Ctrl key to override default 

AutoTrace direction. When you are autotracing a closed polyline, the trace line never crosses the 

start and end points of the polyline (so the Ctrl key has no effect). 

AutoTrace entry in Status Bar. 

Smoothing and Unsmoothing Lines 

You can use the Smooth command to convert polyline angles into polyline curves. 

To smooth a polyline angle into a polyline curve: 

• Click a polyline with the Select tool and on the Objects menu, click Smooth. MapInfo 

Professional smoothes the line so that it appears to be one continuous line with curves 

instead of angles. 

• To undo the process choose either the Undo Smooth command or on the Objects menu, 

click Unsmooth. 

Both the Smooth and Unsmooth commands can be used only on polylines. A polyline is a line drawn 

with the Polyline tool. Smooth and Unsmooth do not work with objects drawn with the Line tool. If 

you attempt to smooth or unsmooth any object besides a polyline, MapInfo Professional displays a 

warning message. 


Converting Regions to Polylines 



You may find it necessary, on occasion, to change an object into a polyline or a polyline into a region 

during an editing session. You can do so simply by selecting the object and on the Objects menu, 

click Convert to Region or Convert to Polyline. 

For instance, you select a group of nodes that you want to copy and paste elsewhere on your map. 

MapInfo Professional treats the group as a polyline and copies it to the clipboard. After you paste the 

polyline on your map, you can convert it to a region on the Objects menu, click Convert to Region. 

If you want to create a buffer zone within one mile of a boundary, meaning you want a zone that 

extends one mile from the boundary to the outside and to the inside, you must first convert the 

region to a polyline and then create the buffer. If you first create the buffer on the region, you will 

include too much territory in the buffer (the entire region in the buffer plus the one mile buffer that 

extends outside of the region). 

Converting objects to polylines and regions allows you to perform node-editing operations on objects 

that ordinarily do not allow node editing. For example, you cannot add nodes to a rectangle object. If, 

however, you first convert the rectangle into a polyline or region, you can then add nodes to the 

object. 


• Editing Street Maps (StreetPro) 

• Adding a Segment to an Existing Street 

• Adding a New Street 

• Renaming a Street 

• Editing Street Colors 

Merging One Map into Another 

There are two ways to merge layers from one Map window to another: 

1. You can use the Drag Map Window functionality to drag the layers of an existing Map window 

onto the another Map window. To see this method, see Merging Maps using the Drag Map 

Window Tool in the Help System. 

2. You can copy the map layers you want from one map to the other in the Layer Control window. 

To see this method, see Merging Maps from Layer Control in the Help System. 

When you merge the layers from the source map on top of the destination map, the destination map 

settings take precedence. This means that the clip regions and coordinate systems, for example, are 

based on the settings in the destination map. If the destination map does not allow raster 

reprojection and the source map has a raster layer, the coordinate system of destination map could 

change. 

Consider this example of a vector map and a raster map. Many times you want to add detail to a 

map by merging it with another open map. You can think of the map you are dragging or copying 

layers from as the source map. 


Figure: Alaska Raster Map (Source Map) 



You can think of the map that you are dragging or copying the layers to as the destination map. 

Figure: Alaska Vector Map (Destination Map) 

� MapInfo Professional does not copy the Cosmetic layer objects or thematic layers from a 

source map to the new window, so any symbols or features you have created there do not 

merge. 

• For more information, see Merging Maps using the Drag Map Window Tool and Merging Maps 

from Layer Control in the Help System. 


Selecting and Querying 

Data 

This chapter presents the ins and outs of selecting records from tables. As you 

use MapInfo Professional you will find yourself selecting records quite often. 

This chapter covers an overview of selecting and querying methods using tools 

from the Main toolbar. 


� Selecting Your Data in MapInfo Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184 

� Querying Your Data in MapInfo Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193 

8

Selecting Your Data in MapInfo Professional 

Chapter 8: Selecting and Querying Data 


While MapInfo Professional allows you to attach data to objects on a map, its true analytical power is 

its ability to group and organize data. Once your data is broken down into logical groups, you can 

analyze it based on one or more variables. 

For example, you have a basket of fruit. You want to organize the fruit into different categories, 

based on one or more variables: 

• Put all the apples into one group 

• Put all the citrus fruit into one group (oranges, lemons, grapefruit) 

• Put all the fruit that begins with a vowel into one group (oranges, apples, apricots) 

There are many different ways that you could group the fruit. Some fruit would fall into more than 

one category (oranges are citrus fruit and also begin with a vowel). You could also use more than 

one variable to group your fruit — put all the citrus fruit that begins with a vowel into one group. 

MapInfo Professional can retrieve information or even individual records from within your data. We 

refer to the record or records that are retrieved this way as selections. A selection is a subset of data 

that has been collected based on one or more variables. 

For example, you have a table of customer records. You could create a subset of all customers who 

live within a 50 mile radius of Prague. Or, you could create a subset of all customers who purchased 

over $1000 of merchandise. Or, you could create a subset of all customers whose last name begins 

with the letter “B”. 

The statements above used to create these subsets are known as queries. A query is just another 

word for a question — which of my customers spent more than $1,000? Which of my customers 

lives within 50 miles of Prague? 




As with the fruit example, there are many different ways to group your data. Some data records will 

obviously fall into more than one category. You could also use more than one variable to group your 

data. Which of my customers lives within 50 miles of Prague and purchased over $1000 of 

merchandise? This section gives you some examples and some practical applications of “selecting” 

in MapInfo Professional. 

Characteristics of Selections 

Selections are temporary tables. When you make a selection, MapInfo Professional creates this 

temporary table (called a selection) to store the records you’ve selected. 

You can perform many of the tasks with a selection table that you can perform with a permanent 

(base) table such as: 

• View it in a Browser, a Map window (if it has graphic objects), a Graph or a Layout window. 

• Cut and copy it into the clipboard and paste it into another table, or even into another application. 

(See Setting your Clipboard to Copy Maps in to Word, Excel, or PowerPoint on page 169.) 

• Use it to edit a table. If you want to edit only certain records in a table, you can get those records 

into a selection and then edit that selection. 

• Make a further selection from it. 

To convert selections into permanent tables, on the File menu, click Save Copy As. Once you’ve 

saved the temporary selection table as a permanent table, you can treat the new table like any other 

table. Selection tables are totally dependent on the table from which they were created. If you close 

a base table, all associated selection tables are deleted. 


Selection Commands and Tool Descriptions 



MapInfo Professional gives you a number of commands and tools for making selections. They fall 

into two categories: 

• Selecting from the screen: Select tool, Radius Select tool, Boundary Select tool, Polygon 

Select tool, Marquee Select tool, Invert Selection tool, Select All command. To select records 

with the tools, click or encircle the associated graphic objects. To select records from a layer 

at the same time, on the Query menu, click Select All. Or, select a layer on the map, rightclick 

to display the context pop-up menu, and select Select All from Selected Layer. 

• Selecting with queries: Select, SQL Select. When you select records with either of these 

methods, you create a logical expression that MapInfo Professional uses to select the 

records. For example, the expression SALES > 20000 means that MapInfo Professional will 

select only those records with sales higher than $20,000. We discuss Select and SQL Select 

in more detail in Using Select to Create Queries on page 201 and Using SQL Select to 

Query Data on page 204). 

1. Choose Table > Import to display the Import File dialog box. Choose OS MasterMap (*.GML) 

from the Files of type drop-down list and navigate to its location. 

2. Select a GML file to import. Click Open. The GML Import dialog box displays. 

Selecting from the Screen 

To select objects from the screen, the layer that contains the objects must be Selectable. To make a 

layer selectable, on the Map menu, click Layer Control. In the Layer Control widow, click the 

Selectable icon to make the layer selectable. 

When you select map objects in a Selectable layer, MapInfo Professional highlights the objects 

using the settings defined in the Highlight Control section of the Preferences dialog box (Options 

menu). When you select map objects in an Editable layer, MapInfo Professional places edit handles 

(small squares) around the extents of the object you selected. 

If you have more than one Selectable layer in a Map window, MapInfo Professional selects objects 

from the topmost Selectable layer. 

For example, you have a Selectable layer of county boundaries and a Selectable layer of state 

boundaries. If the county boundaries are in the topmost layer in the Map window, MapInfo 

Professional selects objects from the county layer. If the state boundaries are in the topmost layer in 

the Map window, MapInfo Professional selects objects from the states layer. When you use the 

Select tool, MapInfo Professional also displays InfoTips for the topmost Selectable layer. As you 

move your cursor over the objects, InfoTips display the object’s label expression. You can turn off 

the InfoTips in the Map window Preferences (on the Options menu, point to Preferences and click 

Map window). 

Likewise, if you perform a boundary search, the boundary object that you want to search should be 

in the topmost layer. 




For example, you have a layer of postal code boundaries and a layer of state boundaries. If you 

want to select all objects that fall within a postal code boundary, the postal code layer should be the 

topmost boundary layer. If you want to select all objects that fall within a given state, the state layer 

should be the topmost boundary layer. You can reorder the layers by selecting the Map menu, and 

clicking Layer Control. 

You can select objects from tables other than the topmost table, by holding down the Ctrl key when 

you are selecting an object. For example, say you have three selectable layers, such as STATES, 

COUNTIES, and CITIES. If you want to select objects in the STATES table, but it is the bottom layer 

in the Map window, do the following: 

1. Hold down the Ctrl key and click the map with the Select tool. You are now in the second layer. 

2. Hold down the Ctrl key and click the map again with the Select tool. You are now selecting 

objects from the third layer, the STATES layer. 

Selecting a Single Object from a Map or Layout 

Making selections is a basic MapInfo Professional operation, using the Select tool is only one way of 

making selections. 

The tool must be active before you can use it; activate the tool by clicking on it. The tool's icon is 

highlighted in the Main toolbar and the cursor becomes a pointer. If you are editing records in a 

browser, the cursor becomes an I-beam. 

To select a single object from a map or layout: 

1. Click the Select button in the Main toolbar. 

2. Click the object. 

The layer where the object is located has to be selectable in the Map window. When an object is 

selected it is highlighted according to the settings you specified in Options > Preferences. 

• When the layer is editable, the selected object is surrounded by edit handles and is colored and 

patterned as it was originally defined. 

• When you select another object, the first object is unselected. 

• To select a number of objects from a map or layout, hold the Shift key down and click the 

desired objects with the Select tool. 

Selecting Tools 

MapInfo Professional includes several tools on the Main toolbar to allow you to choose records for 

further viewing and analysis, including the Select tool, Radius Select tool, Marquee Select tool, 

Polygon Select tool, Boundary Select tool, and Invert Selection tool. Each tool is discussed in the 

next section. 

Using the Select Tool 

Use the Select tool to select objects one at a time or to select all objects that are generally in the 

same area of the Map window. You select an object by clicking it using the mouse. 


To select an object using the Select tool: 



1. Make the layer that you want to select objects from selectable. On the Map menu, click Layer 

Control and click the Selectable icon for the layer. 

2. Choose the Select button from the Main toolbar. 

3. Click an object in the Map window. If that object’s layer is selectable, MapInfo Professional 

highlights the object. If the layer is editable, MapInfo Professional puts edit handles around the 

extents of the object. If the layer is neither editable nor selectable, MapInfo Professional does not 

allow you to select the object. 

4. On the Window menu, click New Browser Window to display selected records in a Browser. 

Choose Selection from the list of tables. MapInfo Professional creates a Browser of the new 

temporary table. To select records from the Browser, simply click each record with the Select 

tool. 

To select multiple objects individually: 

1. Click the first object to select it. 

2. Hold down the Shift key and click another object. MapInfo Professional selects that object, too. If 

you select a second object without holding down the Shift key, MapInfo Professional unselects 

the first object and selects the second object. 

• For additional instructions, see Selecting the Next Selectable Object Beneath the Current Object 


Using the Unselect All Tool 

Use the Unselect All to deselect all of the selected objects. You use this most often when you have 

selected too many objects and want to start over. 

To select an object using the Select tool: 

• Choose the Unselect All button from the Main toolbar. 

Deselecting Objects and Removing Objects from the Selection 

To deselect an object or remove it from the selection: 

• Hold the Shift key down and then click the object. When you click, the object is removed from 

the selection set. 

To deselect all objects: 

• Choose Query > Unselect All or click someplace on the map where there are no objects. 

• For additional information, see Moving Selected Objects and Rotating Selected Objects in the 

Help System. 


Using the Radius Select Tool 



The Radius Select tool is used to select all objects that fall within a given radius. For example, you 

have a table of blood donors and a table of blood donation sites. Using the Radius Select tool, you 

could create a temporary list of blood donors that live within a one-half-mile radius of each blood 

donation site. 

The Radius Select tool selects all objects whose centroid falls within the circle. The object doesn’t 

have to be completely bounded by the circle. 

To select objects within a radius: 

1. Make the layer you want to select objects from selectable. On the Map menu, click Layer 

Control and click the Selectable icon for the layer. Make sure the layer is either at the top of 

the list, or that the layers above they layer you want are not selectable. 

2. Choose the Radius Select tool from the Main toolbar. The cursor becomes a hand when moved 

over the Map window. 

3. Click a place on the map that you would like to use as the center point of your radius search. For 

example, if you want to select all the homes of all of the children that live within three blocks of 

the school, click the school icon and use that as the center point. 

4. Hold down the mouse button and drag the mouse away from the center point. MapInfo 

Professional draws a circle around the point and reports the radius of the circle in the Status Bar 

(lower left corner of the screen). 

5. When you have the desired radius release the mouse button. MapInfo Professional highlights all 

map objects that fall within that circle. 




6. To see a list of all the records that fall within that circle, choose New Browser Window from the 

Window menu. Choose Selection from the list of tables. MapInfo Professional creates a 

Browser of the new selection table. 

Using the Marquee Select Tool 

The Marquee Select tool is used to select objects within a rectangle. By clicking and dragging using 

the Marquee tool, you create a dotted rectangle, or marquee box around objects you want to select. 

All Selectable objects in the topmost Selectable layer will be included in the marquee box. 

� To select objects from another layer, you must turn off selectable in Layer Control for the 

upper layers. Only objects from one layer at a time are selected. 

To select objects within a rectangle: 



2. Choose the Marquee Select tool from the Main toolbar. The cursor becomes a hand when 

moved over the Map window. 

3. Click a place on the map outside of the area you want to include in the marquee box. 

4. Hold down the mouse button and drag the mouse to form a dotted rectangle around the points 

you want to select. 

5. When you have reached the desired rectangle size, release the mouse button. MapInfo 

Professional highlights all map objects that fall within that rectangle. 

6. To see a list of all the selected records, on the Window menu, click New Browser Window. 

Choose Selection from the list of tables. MapInfo Professional creates a Browser of the new 

selection table. 

Adding Objects to the Selection Set 

Use the Shift key with the Marquee Select tool when you wish to add newly selected objects to the 

previous selection. 


Using the Polygon Select Tool 



The Polygon Select tool selects map objects within a polygon that you draw on a map. 

To select objects with the Polygon Select tool: 

1. Make the layer that you want to select from selectable. On the Map menu, click Layer Control 

and click the Selectable icon for the layer. 

2. Choose the Polygon Select tool from the Main toolbar. The cursor becomes a pointing hand 

when moved over the Map window. 

3. Click the map location at which you want to place the first end point of the polygon. Move the 

cursor over your map in any direction. MapInfo Professional draws a line from the point where 

you clicked to the cursor. 

4. Click to create another endpoint. Continue to move the cursor and click until you have the 

desired number of sides to your polygon. 

5. To close the polygon, make your last click as close as possible to the first click. MapInfo 

Professional closes the polygon and selects the objects that are within it. 

� Press Shift while using the Polygon Select tool to add newly selected objects to the 

previous selection. 

Using the Boundary Select Tool 

If you want to select objects that fall within a given region or boundary, use the Boundary Select tool. 

When you use this tool, MapInfo Professional selects all objects within any boundary on the map, 

such as state or county boundaries, police precincts, or sales territories. 

For example, you have a layer of states and a layer of retailers. Using the Boundary Select tool, you 

could click a state and create a temporary list of all the retailers in that state. 

To select objects within a region: 



2. Choose the Boundary Select tool from the Main toolbar. The cursor becomes a cross hair when 

moved over the Map window. 

3. Click within a boundary object. MapInfo Professional selects all objects that fall within that 

boundary. 

4. To see a list of all the records that fall within that boundary, on the Window menu, click New 

Browser Window. Choose Selection from the list of tables. MapInfo Professional creates a 

Browser of the new selection table. 


Using the Invert Selection Tool 



The Invert Selection tool is a convenient way to select many objects at once. You simply select the 

few objects that you don’t want, and then invert the selection to select all the objects you do want. 

1. Make the map layer that you want to select from selectable. On the Map menu, click Layer 


2. Make the Select tool active, and click one or two map objects. 

3. Click the Invert Selection tool. MapInfo Professional selects all the objects that are not part of 

the current selection, and cancels the current selection. You can also find Invert Selection in the 

Query menu. 

Unselecting Objects or Records 

You may choose to: 

• Unselect one object or record from a group of selected objects or records. 

• Unselect a group of selected objects or records. 

• Unselect all selected objects. 

To cancel the selection of one object or record from a group of selected objects or records, hold 

down the Shift key and click the object or record with the Select tool. When you click it, the selection 

is cancelled. 

To cancel the selection of all selected objects, you can either click the Map window where there are 

no objects or choose the Unselect All command from the Query menu. 


Querying Your Data in MapInfo Professional 



A query is a mathematical question that you pose to your database to collect information. In MapInfo 

Professional, there are two query builders available under the Query menu, Select and SQL Select. 

Figure: SQL Query to Determine Homes Affected by Airport Noise Pollution 

In the case of Select, you can pose a question of a single table. For example, 

• Which of my customers spent more than $20,000? 

• Which of my customers live in Vermont? 

In the case of SQL Select, you can ask your question from one or several table(s) of information and 

perform these tasks: 

• Derive new columns – columns that calculate new values based on the contents of your 

existing columns. 

• Aggregate your data so that you see only a listing of subtotals instead of seeing your entire 

table. 

• Combine two or more tables into one results table. 

• Show only the columns and rows that interest you. 


Selecting and Using Queries 



Select allows you to query a table. It allows you to select records and objects from a table according 

to their attributes. You can use it to highlight objects in a Map or Browser window that meet certain 

criteria. You can also create a results table that you can browse, map, or graph like any other table. 

For instance, by formulating queries with Select, you can ask MapInfo Professional to: 

• Show only postal code regions where the average household income is above $65,000. 

• Show only postal code regions where the median age is 42. 

• Show only the postal code regions where the household income is above $65,000 and the 

median age is 42. 

• Show only records for all orders received in July or September. 

• Show cities of over 100,000 people in Texas, California and Florida. 

When you are working in a Browser, MapInfo Professional highlights the records meeting the criteria 

of the query. When you are working in a Map window, the graphic objects of the chosen records are 

highlighted. When you are working in both windows, the objects in both are highlighted. In all cases, 

MapInfo Professional automatically creates a working table called Selection that contains the results 

of the query. You can browse, map, or graph this table like any other table. The table can also be 

saved as a separate table with Save Copy As. 

Finding an Object or Street Address 

To find an object or street address: 

Your tables must be mappable and indexed. If you need to set up these components, see File > 

New Table (Import) or Table > Maintenance > Table Structure. 

1. Choose Query > Find, a Find dialog box displays. 

2. Click the Search table drop-down list and choose a table from which to search. 

3. Click the for objects in column drop-down list and choose the column containing the location 

information of the objects you are looking for. 

You now have the option of refining the search. Use this option when you are trying to find an 

object or address whose name is not unique and is used for other objects or locations. 

For example, when you are searching for the town of Ipswich in Great Britain, do you want 

Ipswich in Suffolk county or Ipswich in Essex county. Refining the search by county allows you to 

specify the county for each town, rather than just the town name. 

• Optional - Click the Refine search with table drop-down list and choose a refining table (the 

table must contain regions, such as states, counties, census tracts etc.). 

• Optional - Click the using boundary name column drop-down list and choose your refining 

column, the column containing the name of the boundary. 

4. Check the Find in Front Window Only check box when you want the Find operation executed 

only in the Front Window. When this check box is unchecked, the Find operation is executed in 

all windows. When checked, if features are found, they will be marked with a symbol in a Map 

Window. If the Browser window is the active window, it will be scrolled so the record appears in 

the Browser view. 

When you have finished defining where to look for your search data and selecting between the 

front most map and all maps then specify what data to look for. 




5. Click OK. The Find dialog box displays. This dialog box allows you to specify what data to look 

for. 

The name of the column that you specified in the first Find dialog box is listed to the left of the list 

box (for example, Street). When locating a street address, type in "# Name", such as "30 Elm St" 

or "1045 Templar Blvd." What you type in depends on geocoding preferences specified in 

Options > Preferences > Address Matching. 

� MapInfo Professional comes with a text file called MAPINFOW.ABB [MapInfo 

Professional Abbreviations], that contains a list of common street abbreviations, such as 

"St" for "Street" and "Blvd." for "Boulevard," and so forth. These help MapInfo 

Professional to obtain exact matches. To familiarize yourself with the MAPINFOW.ABB 

file, you can take a look at its contents in the Notepad Text Editor. 

6. Type the name of the object or address you are searching for in this box. If you have used the 

Refine option in the first dialog box, a second column name is listed (for example, ZIP). 

7. Type the name of the refining boundary in this box. If MapInfo Professional cannot find an exact 

match for the object you specified, it lists possible matches. 

8. Click Up or Down to move to other pages and choose a specific entry from the list. 

9. Click OK and the find is initiated. 

You can also use the Find command to locate street intersections. When you type in the name 

of the object to be found in the second Find dialog box (enter object name to find), separate the 

two items by a double ampersand (&&). For example, to find the intersection of Congress Street 

and Christie Street, type "Congress Street && Christie Street." 

Finding and Displaying a Selected Object 

When you create a query or a SQL query, you may want to see the results of that query visually on 

the map. 

To find and display a selected object: 


• From the Query menu, select Select to display the Select dialog box 

• From the Query menu, select SQL Select to display the SQL Select dialog box 

The Find Results in Current Map Window check box displays in both dialog boxes. 




2. Create your query and verify that it is correct, selecting the open table that you want to query. 

3. Select the Find Results in Current Map Window check box to display the results upon 

completion. 

4. Click OK to display the results. 

• For more information, see Selecting All Objects from a Table in the Help System. 

Figure: Query Results of Urban Population > Rural Population 

Making Queries using the Select Command 

MapInfo Professional has two commands for selecting objects through querying: Select and SQL 

Select. Select is simpler and SQL Select is more powerful. 

To make a query: 

1. Choose Query > Select. The Select dialog box displays. 

2. Click on the Select records from table drop-down list and choose the table from which to select 

the records. 

3. Type your query expression in the that satisfy box, or click the Assist button to display the 

Expression dialog box which helps you write an expression. 

4. Type a name in the Store Results in table box for the temporary table that stores the results of 

your query or choose selection (the default). If Selection is chosen, MapInfo Professional 

automatically names the table Query 1, Query 2 etc. 

5. To sort the query by the value in some column (optional) click the Sort results by column dropdown 

list and choose the column containing the value you want to sort with. 




6. Click OK. A Browser window of your query results displays if the Browse Results box is 

checked. 

You can use Select to highlight objects in a map or a table that meet certain criteria and create a 

results table that you can browse, map, or graph like any other table. 

• When you are working in a Browser window, the records meeting the criteria of the query are 

highlighted. 

• When you are working in a map, the graphic objects of the chosen records are highlighted. 

• When you are working with both a Map window and a Browser window, the objects and the 

records are highlighted. 

In all cases, a working table is automatically created called Query 3. This table contains the results 

of the query. You can map, or graph this table like any other table. The table can also be saved as a 

separate table with Save Copy As. 

• For more information, see Saving Queries and Loading Templates in the Help System. 

Making Queries using the SQL Select Command 

To create a query using SQL Select: 

1. Open the table you wish to query, if you haven't already done so. The table that you query is 

known as the base table. If you use SQL Select to perform a query on the World table, the World 

table is your base table. 

2. Choose Query > SQL Select. Fill in the portions of the SQL Select dialog box that meet your 

needs. When you click OK, MapInfo Professional performs the query. 

MapInfo Professional extracts data from your base table, stores the query results in a special, 

temporary table, known as the results table. The results table contains only the rows and 

columns that meet your criteria. The default name of the results table is Selection (although you 

can specify a different results table name in the Into Table Named field in the SQL Select dialog 

box). 

3. Open a Map window and/or a Browser window if you want to see the query results. By default, 

MapInfo Professional displays the results table in a Browser window automatically (unless you 

clear the Browse Results check box in the SQL Select dialog box). 

If your results table is called Selection (the default name), the Browser window shows a different 

table name, such as Query1 or Query2. This is because the moment you Browse the Selection 

table, MapInfo Professional takes a "snapshot" of the table, and names the snapshot Queryn 

(where n is a number, one or greater). MapInfo Professional takes the snapshot because 

"Selection" is a special table name; Selection dynamically changes every time you select or deselect 

rows. 

In the SQL Select dialog box, you can enter a different name for your results table (e.g. you can 

name your results table My_Query). This prevents MapInfo Professional from renaming your 

results table Queryn. 

4. MapInfo Professional automatically selects all rows in the results table. Thus, after you perform 

SQL Select, you can perform operations on the entire set of selected rows. For example, you 

could apply a different fill color to all selected rows (by choosing Options > Region Style), or 

you could cut or copy all selected rows. 




5. Usually, any alterations you make to the results table are automatically applied to your original 

(base) table. For example, if you use SQL Select to select some of the rows from the Orders 

table, and then you delete some of the rows from your results table, MapInfo Professional 

deletes the corresponding rows from your base table (Orders). However, if your query produces 

subtotals, you can alter the results table without affecting the base table. 

6. Choose File > Save As if you want to make a permanent copy of the results table. If you do not 

perform Save As, the results table will be deleted when you exit MapInfo Professional. 

• For more information, see Using the SQL Select Dialog Box’s Where Condition Field, Updating a 

SQL Select Query Table and Using the SQL Select Dialog Box’s Select Columns Field 

Templates in the Help System. 

Displaying Query Results Quickly 

When you create a query or a SQL query, you can display the results visually on the map. 

To find and display the results of a query automatically: 


• From the Query menu, select Select to display the Select dialog box 

• From the Query menu, select SQL Select to display the SQL Select dialog box 

The Find Results in Current Map Window check box displays in both dialog boxes. If 

there are no open Map windows, this check box is disabled. You cannot save this 

check box setting to a template. This option is cleared by default. 

2. Create your query and verify that it is correct, selecting the open table that you want to query. 

3. Select the Find Results in Current Map Window check box to display the results. Click OK. 

• For more information, see Choosing Which Columns Appear in the Results Table and Creating 

Statistical Calculations in the Help System. 

Creating Query Expressions 

To perform a Select query, you must create an expression. An expression is a logical statement that 

is used to ask your question. For example, you have a table of apartments for rent. If you want to 

create a temporary table of all apartments that cost less than $800 a month, you could use the 

expression: 

• RENT < 800 




where RENT is the name of a numeric column that contains the per month rent rate. 

MapInfo Professional searches the apartment table for all records that satisfy this condition and puts 

those records in a temporary table that you can map, browse, graph or carry out additional queries. 

You can also perform mathematical operations on your data. For example, you want to create a 

temporary table of all apartments that have a total cost of less than $800. Total cost is equal to the 

sum of the rent and the monthly utilities. 

You could use the expression: 

• RENT + UTILITIES < 800 

You are telling MapInfo Professional to add the number in the RENT column and the number in the 

UTILITIES column and then compare that number to 800. 

For more information, see Creating Expressions on page 428 for details in creating a variety of 

expressions. 

Specifying an Expression 

There are two ways of creating an expression. The first method is to type in the expression directly. 

When you are creating very simple expressions, this method is usually faster. The second method is 

to press the Assist button in the Select dialog box and build your expression using the pop ups in 

the Expression dialog box. This method is particularly useful when you are just learning how to build 

expressions or when you are building very complex expressions. 

To specify an expression: 

1. Choose Query > Select. The Select dialog box displays. 

2. Click the Assist button. The Expression dialog box displays. 

3. Type your expression directly into this box, or choose from the drop-down list selections to 

create an expression. 

4. Click Verify to verify that your expression is valid. 

5. Click OK to return to the Select dialog box. 

6. Click OK to run the expression. 

The Expression dialog box gives you three drop-down lists that you can use to build your 

expression: columns, operators, and functions. 


Columns 



This pop up lists every column in the table from which you are selecting. If the table contains derived 

columns from previous queries, those columns will also be listed. 

Operators 

This pop up contains mathematical and logical operation symbols. The mathematical operators in 

this pop up include addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, greater than, less than, and equal 

signs. You can use these symbols to create mathematical formulas. For example, from your table of 

sales representatives you want to select those sales representatives who, on the average, gross 

more than $2000 per month. Gross sales is computed by adding together sales and commission. 

You have two columns in your table: TOTAL_SALES, which is total sales for the year for each 

representative and COMMISSION, which is total commission for the year for each representative. 

You could build the following expression: 

• (TOTAL_SALES + COMMISSION) / 12 < 2000 

This expression tells MapInfo Professional to add the number in the TOTAL_SALES column with the 

number in the COMMISSION column. However, this gives you gross sales for the year. We want 

average gross sales for the month. Therefore, we divide the sum by 12, which will give us a monthly 

average. We then compare that figure with 2000. 

The Operators pop up also includes logical operators conjunctions AND, NOT, OR and LIKE. The 

LIKE operator can be used with two wildcard characters: ‘%’ and ‘_’. The ‘%’ character matches zero 

or more characters. The ‘_’ character matches only one character. 

Functions 

This pop up contains mathematical functions that take one or more parameters and return a value. 

You use functions to perform basic mathematical functions on the data in that column. For example: 

• abs() 

takes the absolute value of the numbers in the specified column. 

For example, a meteorologist wants to select all days where the temperature in her city was more 

than 10 degrees warmer or cooler than the national average. She has a column in her table, 

AVG_DIFF, that contains the difference between the national average and city average. 

She could create the following expression: 

• AVG_DIFF < –10 Or AVG_DIFF > 10 

This expression tells MapInfo Professional to select all records that have an average difference less 

than -10 or greater than +10. However, she could also create the following expression: 

• abs(AVG_DIFF) > 10 

This expression tells MapInfo Professional to select all records where the absolute value of the 

average difference is greater than ten. 

The Functions pop up contains many other functions, including area, perimeter, sin, cos, and daterelated 

functions. For a complete list of functions, see Creating Expressions on page 428. 


Verify 



This button reviews the expression you have created and verifies that it is valid. This is particularly 

helpful if you are new to writing expressions. 

Using Select to Create Queries 

In general the process for selecting objects using Select is: 

1. On the Query menu, click Select to display the Select dialog box. 

1 Select the table from which to select records. 

2 Create the expression to select records. 

3 Choose a storage place for results. 

4 Choose column for sorting. 

2. To see a list of the records you have selected, select the Browse Results check box. MapInfo 

Professional creates a Browser of the new selection table. 

3. To display the query results in the currently active Map window, select Find Results in Current 

Map Window. If there are no open Map windows, this check box is disabled. You cannot save 

this check box setting to a template. This option is cleared by default. 

4. Click OK to begin the query. 

MapInfo Professional names the table Query1. It will name the next temporary selection table 

Query2. You can override MapInfo Professional’s default name and give the selection a descriptive 

name. Type the new name into the Store Results in Table box. The table can also be saved as a 

separate table with Save Copy As. 

Example: Selecting 

MapInfo Professional makes finding information and locations easy. You can use the Select feature 

to create subset databases. As an example, we use the WORLD table to select countries with a 

literacy rate greater than 90%. 

1. Open the WORLD.TAB table. 

2. On the Query menu, click Select to display the Select dialog box. 


1 

2 

3 

4



3. Complete the Select dialog box: 

• Select Records from Table — From the Select records from table drop-down list, choose 

World. 

• Assist — Click the Assist button to display the Expression dialog box. 

4. Complete the Expression dialog box as shown in the figure: 

From the Columns drop-down list, choose Literacy. 

From the Operators drop-down list, choose > (the greater than sign). 

Type 90. 

Click Verify to confirm the syntax of your expression. Click OK to close the Verify dialog box. 

5. Click OK to close the Expression dialog box. The Select dialog box redisplays. 

6. Select the Browse Results check box. 

7. Click OK. MapInfo Professional creates a Browser that contains the selections. Notice that the 

selections display in both the World map and Browser. 


Making a New Table Using a Subset of a File 



Many of the data sets that are used with MapInfo Professional include more objects and information 

than necessary for some projects. In many cases it is easier to work with a subset of the complete 

data product. For example, if you were tracking crime statistics for a county by census tract, you 

would not need the census tracts for the entire state. 

There are two ways to create a new table that will contain a subset of the records from an existing 

file. You can interactively select the objects representing the records you would like to put in the new 

table using one of the select tools. Or, you can use the SQL Select command to choose a subset of 

objects based on an SQL function. For an example using the SQL Select command, see Example 1 

— Computing Population Density Using Area on page 205. Saving the resulting table is the 

same procedure, whether you choose the objects interactively or use an SQL select statement. 

� Many of the queries on the following pages can be done either by using the SQL Select 

command or through the simpler Select command. Because SQL Select is more versatile 

and more commonly used, the SQL Select dialog box is used in the following examples. 

Interactively Selecting Objects 

1. On the File menu, click Open and open the table in a Map window. 

2. Select the objects that will make up the subset with the Select tool, Radius Search Selector 

tool, or Polygon Search Selector tool. Shift-click to select multiple objects. 




3. On the File menu, click Save Copy As and save the Selection table. The table can be saved 

with any filename. 

Using SQL Select to Query Data 

A selection is a subset of data rows in a table, chosen based on the contents of one or more 

columns from the table. You create selections by formulating questions, or queries, about your data. 

How many customers live in the state of Idaho? Which police precinct has the highest rate of violent 

crime? MapInfo Professional stores the results of these questions in temporary tables called query 

tables. 

In the first part of this chapter, we discussed selections and query tables as a result of using Query 

Select command. We now turn our attention to an extremely powerful and useful feature in MapInfo 

Professional, querying by SQL Select. 

While MapInfo Professional’s Select command lets you formulate sophisticated queries, SQL Select 

goes even further. The records in the query table generated by the Select command don’t have any 

information in them that isn’t contained in the records of the base table. They are, in fact, the same 

records. They have been arranged so that they can be viewed together. 

With SQL Select you can create query tables containing information that was only implicit in the 

base table(s). 




The SQL Select dialog box is one of the most elaborate ones in MapInfo Professional. But don’t be 

intimidated. Once you learn what each box is used for, it is fairly simple to create powerful selection 

statements. You can type directly into the boxes or you can use the pop up menus on the right to 

enter items into the boxes. 

The easiest way to describe the dialog box is to walk you through an example, step-by-step. This 

example uses data from the WORLD table included in MapInfo Professional, so you can try out this 

SQL Select exercise yourself. We have included a brief description of the parts of the dialog box with 

each step. A complete description of each box is given after the example. 

� Expanding the text controls is no guarantee that the resulting query can be handled by 

MapInfo Professional. You can still receive the Query too complex error when adding larger 

queries. 

Example 1 — Computing Population Density Using Area 

In this example, we’ll use the world map to create a table of all the countries that have a population 

density of over 500 people per square mile. 

The following formula computes population density: 

• POPULATION / AREA 

While the WORLD table has a population column (pop_1994), it does not include a column for 

country area. However, since the WORLD table has graphic objects associated with the records, 

MapInfo Professional can compute the total area for each country. 

Open the WORLD.TAB table, and maximize its display by clicking the window’s maximize button. 

On the Query menu, click SQL Select to display the SQL Select dialog box. 

To complete the SQL Select dialog box: 

1. In the From Tables box, choose WORLD from the Tables drop-down list. 

You can specify more than one table in an SQL statement. This example uses only one table, 

WORLD. 

2. You should fill in the From Tables box before you fill in the Select Columns box. MapInfo 

Professional uses the tables in the From Tables box to generate the list of columns in the 

Columns drop-down list. 

3. Place your cursor in the Select Columns box and delete the asterisk (*). In this example, we will 

specify a list of columns to be included in the resulting query table, instead of including all 

columns. 

� An asterisk (*) in the Select Columns box means by default that all columns would be 

queried. 

Remember, the query table is the temporary table that MapInfo Professional creates to store the 

results of the query. 

4. Select Country from the Columns drop-down list. 




5. Select pop_1994 from the Columns drop-down list. 

Now, we need to compute population density. Remember, population density is computed by 

dividing population by area. There is no Area column in the table. However, there is a function, 

Area, which will compute the area of any mappable object. Since the WORLD table is mappable, 

MapInfo Professional can compute the area of each country and, therefore, the population 

density of each country. 

6. Select the division sign (/) from the Operators list. 

7. Select Area from the Functions popup. 

This creates a derived column. A derived column is a column that contains the results of 

calculations performed on another column or columns. When MapInfo Professional creates the 

query table, it will include two columns: the Country column and the pop_1994/Area(obj, “sq 

mi”) column, which is our population density column. MapInfo Professional includes a units 

statement with all geographic functions. If you wanted MapInfo Professional to return the area in 

square kilometers, you would change “sq mi” to “sq km.” 

Now, we need to build an expression that selects only those countries whose population density 

is over 500 people per square mile. 

8. Tab to the Where Condition box and select pop_1994 from the Columns drop-down list. 

9. Select the division sign (/) from the Operators drop-down list. 

10. Select Area from the Functions pop up. 

11. Select the greater than sign (>) from the Operators drop-down list. 

12. Type the number 500. 

We have now built the expression “Select all countries whose population density 

(pop_1994/Area(obj, “sq mi”)) is more than (>) 500 people per square mile.” 

13. Leave the Group by Columns box blank. 

14. Tab to the Order by Columns box and select Country from the Columns list. 

The Order by Columns box allows you to specify the order the records in the query table will 

display. By selecting Country, MapInfo Professional will list the records in alphabetical order, 

according to country name. 

15. Tab to the Into Table Named box and type DENSITY. 

By default, MapInfo Professional names the query table Query1. Subsequent query tables will be 

named Query2, Query3, and so on. You can change the name of the query table by typing in a 

new table name in the Into Table Named box. MapInfo Professional will name the query table 

DENSITY. 

16. Click Verify. MapInfo Professional checks the syntax of your SQL statement. If there are any 

errors in your statement, MapInfo Professional gives you an error message telling you what the 

error is and which box contains the error. 

17. Select the Browse Results check box to create a Browser of the query table. If you do not select 

Browse Results, MapInfo Professional still creates the temporary query table but doesn’t display 

it. If you wanted to display the table after the fact, choose the Browse option in the Window 

menu and select DENSITY from the drop-down list. 




18. To display the query results in the currently active Map window, select Find Results in Current 

Map Window. If there are no open Map windows, this check box is disabled. You cannot save 

this check box setting to a template. This option is cleared by default. 

19. Click OK to create the following table. 

The first column contains the country name. The second column contains the population density. 

Note that the countries are listed in alphabetical order (Order By: Country) and the population 

density for each country listed is over 500 people per square mile (pop_1994/ Area(obj, “sq mi”) 

> 500). 

Example 2 — Computing Population Density with SQL 

To set up an SQL Select statement that selects only those states with a high population density, do 

the following: 

1. On the File menu, click Open Table and open the STATES table in a Map window. 




2. On the Query menu, click SQL Select and fill in the SQL Select dialog box. 

This creates a new table, HIDENSTY, that contains only those states with a relatively high 

population density (population divided by total area). The asterisk (*) in the Select Columns box 

transfers all of the columns in the STATES table to the HIDENSTY table. 

3. On the File menu, click Save Copy As and save the Selection table. The table can be saved 

with any filename. 

For additional examples, see the following Help System topics: 

• Examples of Group by Columns 

• Example - Using the Group by Columns Field to Subtotal the Results Table 

• Example - Using the Order by Columns Field to Sort the Results Table 

Saving Queries 

Any query created using the Select or SQL Select commands can be saved as a MapInfo 

Professional query table. Query tables consist of a .tab file and a .QRY file. After you have executed 

a Select or SQL Select statement, on the File menu, click Save Query to save the query as a table. 

When you open this table, the tables on which the query is based are re-opened and the query is reexecuted. 

� Queries made against other queries cannot be saved as a table or in a workspace. 


Saving Queries to Workspaces 



You can also save queries in workspaces. When you open a workspace that contains a query, the 

query will execute and any windows created by the query will redisplay. Unlike saving a query as a 

table, a separate .tab file is not created when you save a query to a workspace. 

� To save queries to a workspace, the Save Queries in Workspaces check box must be 

selected in the Startup preferences. MapInfo Professional selects this check box by default. 

Activating Save Query when Using a Workspace 

To activate the Save Query option when using a workspace, you must activate the Save Queries in 

Workspaces option in the Startup Preferences dialog box. 

1. Choose Options > Preferences > Startup. The Startup Preferences dialog box displays. 

2. Check the Save Queries in Workspaces option (default setting). 

3. Click OK. 

If you selected this option and open a workspace, the associated queries are regenerated. A 

separate MapInfo Professional table (.tab) file for the queries is not created. 

� Only queries created using the SQL Select or Select commands are saved in a workspace. 

Using Date- and Time-Based Data in Maps and Queries 

If you maintain time- or date/time-specific data, you may be interested in querying that information 

and displaying it visually in your MapInfo maps. We have added new Time and DateTime data types 

to allow you to display that data thematically and as part of a query analysis. You could use this new 

data type for many types of projects, such as to display crime information based on Date and Time 

or to post schedules based on resource availability on a particular date. Additionally if you use 

Access, Excel, dBase, and remote databases and you have not been able to use the date and time 

based information in the past, we are providing a way for you to use that information in MapInfo 

Professional. In the past, when you converted this type of information into a MapInfo format, the 

information either was interpreted incorrectly, it was truncated, or it did not translate at all. 

These new data types have been added in many places throughout MapInfo Professional and show 

up in the lists of your Query dialog boxes. However what is most important is that you understand 

how this data is now interpreted when bringing it into MapInfo format. 

Using the New Data Types 

You can convert existing fields with time or time/date information into the new format so you can use 

them for querying and thematic maps. 

To convert your data: 

1. Open the data you want to convert in MapInfo Professional. 




2. Chose Table > Maintenance > Table Structure and select the table for which you want to 

change the data type. The Modify Table Structure dialog box displays. 

3. To change the ArrivalTime field from a character field to a Time field, click the Type drop-down 

arrow and select the Time type. 

4. Click OK to save your change. 

Adding Time or DateTime Data Types to Existing Data 

If you have existing data and want to add Time or DateTime content to it, check the table below to 

ensure that the data is in a format that MapInfo Professional can recognize as Time or DateTime. 

Time and DateTime Data Formats 

Enter: To Format for Time: To Format for DateTime: 

Date Not Applicable. yyyyMMdd 

Sets value to the specified Date at midnight. 

Time HHmmssfff. 

Can also use the locale settings 

for a Time string. 

DateTime yyyyMMddHHmmssfff 

Sets value to Time portion of 

DateTime value. 

HHmmssfff 

Sets value to current date at specified Time. Can 

also use the locale settings for Date and Time 

strings separated by a space. 

yyyyMMddHHmmssfff 


where: 



HH refers to hours, mm refers to minutes, ss refers to seconds, ff refers to fractions of seconds, 

yyyy refers to years, MM refers to month, dd refers to date 

Converting Existing Data to Time or DateTime Data Types 

If you have Time or DateTime data in your tables already, check to see if it is in the format you want 

by checking the Time and DateTime Data Formats. If you have a lot of data and it is not in the 

format you require for your tasks, you can use one of the MapBasic conversion functions to assist 

you with this process. 

Converting Date Time DateTime 

String Assumes the form 

yyyyMMdd or locale 

settings for a date string 

if Date format is "local" 

or the U.S. form if Date 

format is "US". * 

Number Assumes the form 

yyyyMMdd. If any 

portion of the Date is 

invalid the value is set to 

null. May display this 

error: "Could not convert 

data." 

Additional Notes for Converting a String 

* to a Date 

String can be in the 

form HHmmssfff or 

can use the locale 

settings for a Time 

string. ** 

Assumes the form 

HHmmssfff. If any 

portion of the Time is 

invalid the value is set 

to null and display this 

error: "Could not 

convert data." 

Date No conversion Sets value to null and 

display this error: 

"Could not convert 

data." 

Time Sets value to null. May 

display this error: "Could 

not convert data." 

DateTime Sets value to Date 

portion of DateTime 

value. 

String can be in the form 

yyyyMMddHHmmssfff or 

can use the locale settings 

for Date and Time strings 

separated by a space. *** 

Assumes the form 

yyyyMMddHHmmssfff. If 

any portion of the DateTime 

is invalid the value is set to 

null and display this error: 

"Could not convert data." 

Sets value to the specified 

Date at midnight. 

No conversion Sets value to current date at 

specified Time. 

Sets value to Time 

portion of DateTime 

value. 

No conversion 

If the year is last in the current Date format, you can omit it and MapInfo Professional will assume 

the current year. If the data specifies a two-digit year, MapInfo Professional assigns the century 

based on the current Date Window. If the Date is invalid the value is set to null and MapInfo 

Professional may display this error: "Could not convert data." 


** to a Time 



MapInfo Professional accepts both military and AM/PM forms. The data can specify the entire locale 

in AM or PM strings or use just the first character of each. The data may omit the milliseconds, 

seconds, and minutes if the lower-order portions are also omitted. If the Time is invalid the value is 

set to null and MapInfo Professional may display this error: "Could not convert data." 

*** to a DateTime 

The conversion rules for Date and Time apply for the respective portions of the string. If the data 

omits the Time portion, MapInfo Professional assumes midnight. If the DateTime is invalid the value 

is set to null and MapInfo Professional may display this error: "Could not convert data." 

Additional Notes for Converting a Number to a String 

# The conversion rules for Date and Time apply for the respective portions of the string. If the data 

omits the Time portion MapInfo Professional assumes the Time is midnight. If the DateTime is 

invalid the value is set to null and MapInfo Professional may display this error: "Could not convert 

data.". 

If you have a lot of data and it is not in the format you require for your tasks, you can use one of the 

MapBasic conversion functions to assist you with this process. 

Creating a DateTime Column from Two Separate Columns 

To create a DateTime column from a Date column and a Time column: 

1. Open your data in MapInfo Professional Browser window. We use CrimeActivity.TAB from the 

Introductory Data on your DVD. 

2. Choose Table > Maintenance > Table Structure to display the Modify Table Structure dialog 

box. 

3. Click Add Field and type a Date_Time label in the Name field. 

4. Select Date/Time in the Type drop-down list and click OK. 




5. Select Table > Update Column to display the Update Column dialog box. 

6. Select the table name in the Table to Update drop-down list. 

7. Select the name of the new column you just created in the Column to Update drop-down list. 

8. Select the table name again in the Get Value from Table drop-down list. 

9. Click the Assist button to display the Expressions dialog box. 

10. Use the Column drop-down list to create the following expression and click OK: 

DateColumnName + TimeColumnName 

For more about using math expressions with Time and Date information, see Using 

the Arithmetic Operators with the New Data Types on page 215. 

11. Click OK to update the new column with the Date and Time information. 


Creating Thematic Maps using Time and Time/Date Data Types 



For ranged thematic maps, Time values will be able to be rounded by seconds, minutes, and hours. 

The default is seconds. When you select None, MapInfo Professional does not round the electing 

the seconds and displays a granularity of milliseconds. 

� If your data is on a remote database, you may be interested in the Time and DateTime Data 

Type Support for Remote Databases in the Help System. 

To create a thematic map using DateTime information: 

1. Open your data in MapInfo Professional Browser window. Use the appropriate background map 

to give your data perspective. Here we use the Great Britain data in the Introductory Data on the 

MapInfo Professional DVD. 

2. Choose Query > SQL Select to display the SQL Select dialog box. 

3. Place your cursor in the from Tables field and select the table name that contains the DateTime 

data in the from Tables drop-down list. For our example we used the CrimeActivity table. 

4. To find out the location of crimes between April 10, 2003 and April 10, 2004 and between the 

hours of 12 and 8 p.m., we entered this text in the where Condition box: 

Crime_Date between "04/10/2003" and "04/10/2004" And Crime_Time between 

"12:00:00 PM" and "08:00:00 PM" 

5. Select the Browse Results and Find Results in Current Map Window check boxes to display 

the results. 

6. Click OK to create the query and display the results. 




We used the UKCrimeExample data to create this map. This data is available in the 

Introductory Data/World/Europe/UKCrimeExample folder of the Data on the tMapInfo 

Professional DVD. 

Using the Arithmetic Operators with the New Data Types 

You can use the addition and subtraction operators with the new data types as follows: 

Data type Operator Data type Result Notes 

Time minus (-) Time Number The number represents the number of 

seconds between two times as a floating 

point number. The fractional part of the 

result represents milliseconds. 

Time + or - Number Time The number represents the seconds to 

add to the first Time. The Time wraps 

around midnight so that 11:59 PM + 120 

seconds equals 12:01 AM. 

DateTime minus (-) DateTime Number The number represents the number of 

days between two DateTimes as a floating 

point number. The fractional part of the 

result is the fractional portion of a day, as 

in today at noon minus today at midnight 

equals one half day. 

DateTime + or - Number DateTime The number represents the number of 

days to add to the first Time. 


Using the Comparison Operators with the New Data Types 



The comparison operators are =, , , = and should all work as expected for the Time and 

DateTime values. For Time values, the smallest Time is "12:00:00.000 AM" while the largest Time is 

"11:59:59.999 PM". 

The "Between" operator works as expected for DateTime values. For Time values, we support wraparound 

comparisons. For example: 

TimeValue Between "2:00 AM" And "10:00 PM" is true if the TimeValue is greater than or equal 

to "2:00 AM" and less than or equal to "10:00 PM" 

TimeValue Between "10:00 PM" And "2:00 AM" is true if the TimeValue is greater than or equal 

to "10:00 PM" and less than or equal to "11:59:59.999" or greater than or equal to "12:00 AM" 

and less than or equal to "2:00 AM" 

Using the Logical Operators with the New Data Types 

A Time or DateTime field with a value is true, while the same field with a null value indicates false. 

The behavior of the logical operators And, Or, and Not should follow logically from this. 

Interpreting Excel Data 

Using Excel you can format numeric cells as Dates and/or Times. In previous versions, MapInfo 

Professional supported Date fields with the format 'y' (year), 'm' (month), or 'd' (day). Time fields 

within the format 'h' (hour) or 's' (second) were treated as Float fields. Fields with Date and Time 

format codes were treated as a Date field and the Time information was ignored. Excel determines 

the meaning of the ’m’ format code as either ’month’ or ’minute’ based on the rest of the format code. 

With the introduction of these new data types: 

Fields registered with Are Treated As... 

Date format but not Time format Date fields 

Time format but not Date format Time fields 

Date format and Time format DateTime fields 

� If you want to use both the Date and Time data from tables registered with earlier versions of 

MapInfo Professional, you can re-register the tables. 


• Ensuring that Dates Display Correctly for Excel for Macintosh Tables 

• Controlling how MapInfo Professional Handles Mixed Data Type Columns 


Interpreting Microsoft Access Data 



Access data uses a DateTime type, but not separate Date or Time types. In the past, MapInfo 

Professional interpreted these fields as Date fields. With the introduction of these new data types, 

MapInfo Professional registers the Access DateTime type fields as DateTime fields. 

� The Date fields in any of your existing MapInfo Professional files are still treated as Date 

fields until you re-register them to use the new DateTime data type. 

When you save a MapInfo table to Access format, MapInfo Professional writes Date, Time, and 

DateTime fields as Access DateTime fields. The .tab file itself maintains the Date, Time, and 

DateTime types so when you reopen the file, the Date, Time, or DateTime data displays. If you 

attempt to open these .tab files using a non-MapInfo application, these fields display as DateTime. 

Interpreting dBase Data 

The dBase format supports Date fields but does not explicitly support Time or DateTime fields. 

Therefore, when you register an existing dBase file, there will be no Time or DateTime fields. When 

you save or export a MapInfo table with Time or DateTime fields to a dBase file, Time and DateTime 

fields are written out as character fields of length 9 and 17, respectively so that the data is written out 

in numeric formats. 

When you save a new MapInfo table to dBase format, the .tab file maintains the Time and DateTime 

types so that when you reopen it the data will displays as either Time or DateTime. If you attempt to 

open these .tab files using a non-MapInfo application, these fields display as character fields. 

Related topics in the Help System: 

• Time and DateTime Data Type Support for Remote Databases 

• Interpreting ASCII and CSV Data 

Using Templates for Queries 

Query templates enable you to save Select or SQL Select statements as templates and reload them. 

This saves you the trouble of having to rebuild a query each time you want to use it. Both the Select 

and SQL Select dialog boxes have Load Template and Save Template options to enable you to do 

this easily. Query templates are useful for re-creating a query with an updated version of the table 

used in the original query, or for executing a query on a table that has the same fields as the table on 

which the query statement was created. 

Loading a Template 

You can load any saved query template. 

To load a query template: 

1. In the Select or SQL Select dialog boxes, lick the Load Template button. The Load Dialog From 

Query File dialog box displays. It lists the .QRY files. 




2. Select the .QRY file you want to use, and click Open. The Select or SQL Select dialog box 

displays with the values from the template already filled in. Simply execute your query to create 

the query browser. 

Renaming a Template 

Rename a template by selecting and clicking the template name; enter a new name up to 64 

characters. 

Saving a Template 

After you have finished writing your Select or SQL Select query, you can save the query as a 

template. 

To save a query as a template: 

1. In the Select or SQL Select dialog boxes, click the Save Template button to save the query to a 

template, or query file. The Save Dialog to Query File displays. 

2. Give the query file a name, select a folder, and click Save. Query files are saved with a .QRY 

extension and are saved in the directory specified in the Directories preferences. 

� The query does not need to be complete or syntactically correct to save it to a template. 

Deleting a Template 

To delete a template: 

• Select the template name and press the Delete key. A dialog box displays prompting you to 

confirm or cancel the operation. If no templates of the given type exist, a button to restore a 

default template displays. 

Deriving Columns 

A derived column is a column in a query table whose contents are created by applying an 

expression to the values of columns already existing in some base table. In the example above, 

population density was a derived column. By default, the Select Columns box contains an asterisk 

(*), indicating that all of the columns in the base table are to be included in the query table. If you 

don’t want all of those columns, you should delete the asterisk and list only those columns that you 

want to use. You aren’t limited to creating one derived column. You can create as many derived 

columns as you want. Note that the more derived columns you create, the longer it will take MapInfo 

Professional to execute the query. 

You can also create derived columns based on the aggregate functions count, sum, avg, wtavg, 

max, and min. For example: 

• sum(Population) 

would give you the population for the entire world. 

• sum(Area(obj), “sq mi”) 


would give you the area for the entire world. 

Creating Column Aliases 



When MapInfo Professional creates a derived column, it uses the expression itself as the name for 

that derived column, which can be awkward. You can, however, specify an alias for the column. For 

example, the population density column in our DENSITY Browser was titled: 

• Population / Area(obj, “sq mi”) 

To rename the column, add the new name to the Select Columns box when listing the columns. 

The alias must follow the expression. It must also be separated from the expression by a blank 

space and enclosed in quotes. For example: 

• Country, Population / Area(obj, “sq mi”) “POP_DENSITY” 

When MapInfo Professional creates the temporary query table, the population density column will 

now be named POP_DENSITY. 

You can use aliases to rename any column in a table, not just derived columns. For example, if each 

country in your table is a separate sales territory for your corporation, you might want to rename the 

Country column “TERRITORY”. The procedure is identical: 

• Country “TERRITORY”, Population / Area(obj, “sq mi”) “POP_DENSITY” 

For another example, see Example — Computing Total World Population Density in the Help 

System. 

Aggregating Data 

When you aggregate data, you perform a mathematical operation on all of a column’s values in all of 

the records in your table. Unlike the Select command, which only allows you to perform 

mathematical functions on individual records, SQL allows you to aggregate (or summarize) data 

across records. 

MapInfo Professional looks for each unique set of data values in the specified column or columns 

and creates one row for each such unique set. When you aggregate data, you need to specify: 

• How the records will be grouped. 

• How the data will be aggregated (summarized). 

For example, you have a table of sales representatives and their sales figures for the past three 

months: 

SALES_REP MONTH SALES 

John May 1200 

Cathy May 900 

Julie May 1100 


SALES_REP MONTH SALES 

John June 900 

Cathy June 1400 

Julie June 600 

John July 1200 

Cathy July 700 

Julie July 1000 



MapInfo Professional could also compute the total sales for each representative by specifying in the 

SQL Select dialog box: 

• Select Columns: SALES_REP, sum(SALES) 

• Group by Columns: SALES_REP 

SALES_REP sum(SALES) 

John 3300 

Cathy 3000 

Julie 2700 

or MapInfo Professional could compute the average sales for each representative: 

• Select Columns: SALES_REP, avg(SALES) 

• Group by Columns: SALES_REP 

SALES_REP avg(SALES) 

John 1100 

Cathy 1000 

Julie 900 

or MapInfo Professional could compute the total sales for each month: 

• Select Columns: MONTH, sum(SALES) 

• Group by Columns: MONTH 


MONTH sum(SALES) 

May 3200 

June 2900 

July 2900 

MapInfo Professional has six aggregate functions: 



• Count(*): counts the number of records in a group. It takes * as its argument because it 

applies to the record as a whole, and not to any particular field in the record. 

• Sum (expression): calculates the sum of the values in for all group records. 

• Average (expression): calculates the average of the values in for all the 

records in a group. 

• WtAvg (expression): calculates the weighted average of the values in for all 

the records in a group. 

• Max (expression): finds the highest value in for all records in a group. 

• Min (expression): finds the lowest value in for all records in a group. 

For more about grouping and ordering your data, see the Help System. 

Joining Tables Using SQL Select 

When performing an SQL Select operation with multiple tables, MapInfo Professional needs to join 

information from the records in the various tables. You may have a map table containing only 

graphic objects and their names and a table of statistical data for some geographic region. You want 

to display the statistical data on the map table. You could use SQL Select to create a query table in 

which your statistical data and map data are joined in one table. 

Whenever you are working with multiple tables, you must put a statement in the Where Condition 

telling MapInfo Professional how to match up the rows in the different tables. For example, you have 

the WORLD table that contains countries and a table of economic statistics (Eco_Stats), also broken 

down by country. 

You want to create a query table that contains both sets of data: 

• Select Columns: * (an asterisk indicates include all columns in the query table) 

• From Tables: World, Eco_Stats 

• Where Condition: World.Country = Eco_Stats.Country 

The two columns that you want to match do not have to have the same name. For example, you 

have a table of international customers (Int_Cust) that contains a sales territory column 

(TERRITORY). This column contains continent names, since your company breaks up its sales 

territories according to continent. If you wanted to temporarily join the two tables: 

• Select Columns: * 

• From Tables: World, Int_Cust 

• Where Condition: World.Continent = Int_Cust.TERRITORY 




For an example, see Example — Total Population and Area by Continent in the Help System. 

Using the Where Condition 

The order of fields used in the Join does not matter. Either of the following syntaxes is acceptable: 

Select * from A,B where A.field1 = B.field1 

Select * from A,B where B.field1 = A.field1 

However, keep in mind that when you switch the order of geographic operands, the geographic 

operator must also change. The following statements will produce identical results: 

Select * from states, cities where states.obj contains cities.obj 

Select * from states, cities where cities.obj within states.obj 

Order of Clauses 

The order in which Join clauses are performed does not matter. For example, each of the following 

are valid clauses: 

Select * from Us_custg,States,City_125 

where States.state = City_125.state and States.state = Us_custg.state and 

Us_custg.order_amt > 10000 


where States.state = City_125.state and States.state = US.custg.state and 

Us_custg.order_amt > 10000 





where Us_custg.state = States.state and Us_custg.order_amt > 10000 and 

States.state = City_125.state 

� Some of the data used in this example is from the MapInfo Professional Tutorial, which is 

only available from the Pitney Bowes Software Inc. web site, 

http://go.pbinsight.com/webtutorials. 

Error Handling 

If an invalid Where condition that uses an OR as a logical operator is detected, MapInfo Professional 

will indicate an error has occurred. Usually this error will display whenever MapInfo Professional 

cannot find a join between two tables. For example, if you have specified the following incorrect 

condition: 

Select * from A,B where A.field1 = B.field1 or A.field1 = B.field2 

This error message displays: 

No join specified between A and B. Invalid join condition in Where 

clause 

Joining Tables Geographically (Using Geographic Operators) 

When two tables have graphic objects, MapInfo Professional can join the tables based on the spatial 

relationship between those objects. Thus, even if your tables do not share a common column, you 

may be able to join the tables. 

Geographic operators allow you to select objects on the basis of their spatial relationship to some 

other object. MapInfo Professional has a special column name you use with geographical operators: 

"obj" or "object". This column name refers to the graphic objects that are attached to your table. 

The geographic operators go between the objects being specified. Select the geographic operators 

from the Operators drop-down list. 

The following table lists the geographic operators: 

Contains 

Contains Entire 

Object A Contains Object B if B's centroid is anywhere within A's 

boundary. 

Object A Contains Entire Object B if B's boundary is entirely within A's 

boundary. 

Within Object A is Within Object B if its centroid is inside B's boundary. 

Entirely Within 

Intersects 

Object A is Entirely Within Object B if A's boundary is entirely within 

B's boundary. 

Object A Intersects Object B if they have at least one point in 

common or if one of them is entirely within the other. 




The difference between Contains and Within on the one hand, and Contains Entire and Entirely 

Within on the other, hinges on how the geographic comparison is made. For Contains and Within, 

the comparison is based on object centroids. For Contains Entirely and Entirely Within, the 

comparisons are based on the whole object. 

The following graphic illustrates this point: 

Object A contains Object B 

Object B within Object A 

In each case, object A contains object B because the centroid of object B is inside the boundary of 

object A. However, in the cases at the left and in the middle, part of object B is outside the boundary 

of object A. Only in the case to the right is all of object B inside object A. Only in this case could we 

assert "object A Contains Entire Object B" or "Object B Entirely Within Object A." Further, if A 

contains entire B, then A contains B, and If A is entirely within B then A is within B. 

MapInfo Professional can perform a simple Contains or Within comparison more rapidly than a 

Contains Entire or Entirely Within. Therefore, unless you are absolutely sure that objects are 

completely inside other objects, you should use Contains and Within rather than Contains Entire 

or Entirely Within. 

Geographic operators provide a way of joining tables. When there are no columns in the tables on 

which you can base your join, you can use a geographical operator to specify the join (in the Where 

Condition field). If you want to perform a query that involves both a Cities table and a States table, 

you can join the tables using either of the following expressions: 

1. Cities.obj within States.obj 

2. States.obj contains Cities.obj 

Object A contains Object B 

Object B within Object A 

Object A contains Entire 

Object B 

Object B entirely Within 

Object A 

Object A intersects Object B 

Object B intersects Object A 

In either case, MapInfo Professional finds the cities within each state and then associates a row for a 

city with the row for the state that contains it. In the same SQL Select query, you could also use 

aggregate functions to count the number of cities per state or to summarize city-based data on a 

statewide basis. 




When you have a table of counties and one of customers, where counties are polygons and 

customers are points, you could specify a geographic join using either of the following geographic 

expressions: 

1. Customer.obj within County.obj 

2. County.obj contains Customer.obj 

Geographic operators are particularly useful in conjunction with subselects. 

Additional related help topics: 

• Joining Tables by the Order of the Rows 

• Performing Subselects 

Joining Two or More Tables 

Typically, you store your information in several different tables. You have your own data files, and 

you may also have various databases of statistical information that you purchased from MapInfo 

Professional. SQL Select allows you to create relational joins so that you can bring information from 

these various tables together into a single results table. 

When you want to join two tables, you must determine whether one of the columns in the first table 

contains values that match one of the columns in the second table. Imagine that you have a table of 

counties that has demographic information--the population of people in various age ranges, ethnic 

groups, and occupational categories in each county. You may also have a database containing 

information about customer orders. You want to examine these two tables and see if certain kinds of 

orders come from counties having certain demographic characteristics. Perhaps you want to select 

counties according to combinations of orders and demographic characteristics. To do this you have 

to be able to join the two tables. 

Suppose the counties table contains the name of the county. Similarly, one of the columns in the 

order table contains the name of the county in which the order originated. Thus, these two tables 

have one field in common, the county name. MapInfo Professional can use that common field to join 

the two tables. 

CountyName Pop_1980 Pop_1990 Order # Customer County 

Foster 23,789 27,135 478001 Francis Foster 

Williamette 35,456 34,846 478002 James Foster 

Mason 147,101 151,201 478003 Wickwire Mason 

Counties Table Orders Table 

Within the SQL Select dialog box, you use the Where Condition field to tell MapInfo Professional 

how to join the two tables. The SQL Select dialog box might look like this: 

Select Columns: * 

From Tables: Counties, Orders 

Where Condition: Counties.CountyName = Orders.County 




The order of the table names (in the From Tables field) is important. If both tables contain map 

objects, the results table will only retain the map objects from the first table listed in the From Tables 

field. Furthermore, when the query is complete, MapInfo Professional automatically selects some or 

all of the rows from whichever table is listed first in the From Tables field. Thus, in the preceding 

example, MapInfo Professional will select some or all of the rows from the Counties table. The 

results table will also include data copied from the Orders table, but the Orders table will not be 

selected per se. 

When you join two tables, the number of rows in the results table depends on how well the two 

tables match up. Suppose you have an Orders table with 10,000 rows, and you join the Orders table 

to the States table, which has fifty rows. The results table may contain as many as 10,000 rows. 

However, if some of the rows in the Orders table fail to match any of the rows in the States table, the 

results table will contain fewer than 10,000 rows. Thus, if 400 of the rows in the Orders table do not 

have a state name (perhaps due to data-entry errors), and if the relational join relies on the state 

name, the results table may only contain 9,600 rows. 

You can use Update Column to modify the results of an SQL Select multi-table join. When you want 

to update a column in one table with information from another table, you can: 

1. Join the tables with SQL Select. 

2. Use Update Column on Selection. The update automatically takes effect in the appropriate base 

table. 

• For more information, see Performing Outer Joins and Using the Instr Function to Find Data in 

the Help System. 

Finding Duplicate Values in a Column 

Often data is entered into tables by many different users. Sometimes data is repeated, or there is 

common information in several different records. This section explains how to find all rows in a table 

that, for a given column, share a value with another row. This is accomplished by performing two 

SQL Select statements. 

The first SQL Select statement produces a query table with two columns. The first column is a list of 

all unique values in the data column and the second column lists the number of times that each 

unique value occurs. The second SQL statement compares each data column value with all rows in 

the Query table where the count is greater than one. 

In the next example, there is a table EMPLOYEE that has two columns Id_Num and Name. 

To find the duplicate values, perform the two SQL Selects, modifying them where indicated. 

1. On the Query menu, click SQL Select and fill in the SQL Select dialog box. 




Substitute the name of your data column for ID_Num and the name of your table for 

EMPLOYEE. The number 1 in the Group By Columns box will group the row by ID_Num (the first 

column). The 2 Desc in the Order by Columns box will arrange the records in descending order 

based on the values in the count(*) field (the second column). 

This SQL Select statement returns a query table with two columns. The first column contains 

every identification number possessed by at least one employee. The second column contains 

the number of employees that have that identification number. The rows are sorted by the 

number of employees that have each id number (for example, the count). 

2. On the Query menu, click SQL Select and fill in the dialog box. 

Also, change EMPLOYEE to the name of your table and ID_Num to the name of your data column. 

In the example, the SQL statement returns a query table containing all of the rows from EMPLOYEE 

with duplicated data column values. The where condition selects all rows from EMPLOYEE that 

have an identification number that is the same as one of the ID numbers in the Count_By_ID query 

table. This sub-select finds all identification numbers that occur more than once. 

Calculating the Distance to a Fixed Point 

In MapInfo Professional it is possible to calculate the distance from one point to another. This 

example shows how to calculate the distance from a fixed point to every point in a geocoded table 

and store the result in another table. 

1. Determine the location of the fixed point. To find the position of a symbol on the map, 

double-click the symbol with the Select tool. In this example, the X value is -101.697209 and the 

Y value is 35.550036. 




2. On the Query menu, click SQL Select and fill in the SQL Select dialog box, substituting your X 

and Y values for the values mentioned above 

As in the previous SQL query, replace EMPLOYEE with the name of your table, and ID_Num 

with the name of the relevant column from your table. 

3. Click OK. The resulting query table contains last names and first names plus a new column 

called DISTANCE which records the distance between the fixed location (-101.697209, 

36.550036) and the point associated with each row of the table. 

4. To save the results in a permanent table, on the File menu, click Save Copy As, and save the 

CUSTDIST table. 

• For instructions on entering SQL queries using the Expert button, see the Help System. 


Creating Thematic Maps, 

Legends, and Other 

Maps 

Thematic mapping is a powerful way to analyze and visualize your data. You 

give graphic form to your data so that you can see it on a map. Patterns and 

trends that are almost impossible to detect in lists of data reveal themselves 

clearly when you use thematic shading to display the data on a map. 

You can create thematic maps with MapInfo Professional using the following 

methods: ranges of values, graduated symbols, dot density, individual values, 

bar and pie charts and continuous grid. There are also several variations on and 

options within these methods, such as bivariate thematic mapping and inflection 

point, that give you even more ways to analyze your data. 


� MapInfo Professional in Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230 

� Using Thematic Mapping to Analyze Information . . . . . . . . . . . .230 

� Types of Thematic Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234 

� Working with Thematic Maps and Legends. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252 

� Updating Columns using Thematic Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255 

� Working with Legends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260 

� Working with Grid Surface Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265 

For clarification of the uses of thematic maps in MapInfo Professional, see 

MapInfo Professional in Action in the Help System. 

The Help System also contains these related topics: 

• Bivariate Thematic Mapping 

• Working with 3D and Prism Maps 

9

MapInfo Professional in Action 

Chapter 9: Creating Thematic Maps, Legends, and Other Maps 

MapInfo Professional in Action 

Since you have all the tools you need to make effective and useful maps, it is time to talk about what 

makes a map effective and useful. Whatever you need your map to say, whether it is to convey 

information, calculate distances between health care providers and their patients, or get a count of 

the number of customers that live within a given radius of an outlet location, MapInfo Professional 

can help you do that. By making selections from your table, you can extract information from sets 

and subsets of your data or see patterns and distributions, getting answers to such questions as: 

Which of my customers bought more than $5000 of equipment? Which of my customers is located 

within a 200 mile radius of my warehouse? Which of my customers bought more than $5000 of 

equipment and is located within a 200 mile radius of my warehouse? For more on selecting, see 

Selecting Your Data in MapInfo Professional on page 184, and Querying Your Data in MapInfo 

Professional on page 193. 

MapInfo Professional refers to this grouping of like information as thematic mapping. 

• For an example, see Can You Give Me an Example in the Help System. 

Using Thematic Mapping to Analyze Information 

Thematic mapping is the process of enhancing your map according to a particular theme. At the 

cornerstone of the theme is the data in your table. Themes represent your data with shades of color, 

fill patterns, symbols, bar and pie charts, and grids. 

With MapInfo Professional, you create different thematic maps by assigning these colors, patterns, 

or symbols to map objects according to specific values in your table. MapInfo Professional’s bar and 

pie charts allow you to make data comparisons for each record. Grids allow you to see continuous 

change of your data across an area. 

The Thematic Map feature uses a wizard made up of a series of three dialog boxes to help you 

choose the type of thematic map you want, the table(s) and fields that will be used to construct the 

map, and a variety of options to customize your map. 




MapInfo Professional’s thematic templates make it easy to start constructing a theme. Just choose a 

template that represents the type of thematic map you want. The templates are fully customizable 

and can be saved as new templates for future thematic mapping needs. More than 40 templates 

ship with MapInfo Professional. 

Figure: Comparison of Senior Population to Total U.S. Population 

Planning Your Thematic Map 

Before you create a thematic map, it is important to know about the elements that make up a 

thematic map and how to put them together. This section will discuss thematic variables, where you 

can obtain your data, using data from the same table or another table, and the arrangement and 

display of thematic layers. 

What is a Thematic Variable 

The data that you display on your thematic map is called the thematic variable. Depending on the 

type of thematic analysis you are performing, your map can show one or more thematic variables. 

Ranges of values, grid shading, graduated symbols, dot density, and individual values maps all 

examine one variable. With bar or pie charts, you can display more than one thematic variable at a 

time. 

A thematic variable can also be an expression. Choose Expression from the field list in place of a 

data field to construct a statement that derives information from the data in your table(s). Although 

an expression can be made up of more than one variable (for example, POP_1990 – POP_1980), 

for purposes of thematic mapping, a complete expression is equivalent to one thematic variable. 

See Querying Your Data in MapInfo Professional on page 193, and Creating Expressions in the 

MapInfo Professional User Guide, which is located in the Documentation subfolder of your 

installation directory, for more detailed information. 

You can also create bivariate thematic maps, where one map object, such as a symbol, represents 

two different pieces of data. The symbol color, for example, can represent one thematic variable, 

and the symbol size can represent another. 


Where to Obtain the Data 



Before you begin your thematic map, you need to decide what information you want to display and 

locate where that information resides. It can either be in the table on which you are basing the map, 

or it can be in another table. 

If the data is in the same table on which you are basing the map, choose the desired field directly in 

the Field list box in the Thematic – Step 2 of 3 dialog box. 

If the data is in another table, you must first bring the data into the table on which you’re basing the 

thematic map. This requires creating a temporary column using Update Column. 

Each situation is described in the next few sections. 

Using Data from the Same Table 

If you are using data from the same table, choose the table and field on which you want to base your 

thematic map in the Thematic – Step 2 of 3 dialog box. 

For example, you have a table of parking meters that contains the location of the parking meter and 

the last time the parking meter was emptied. Using Individual Values you want to shade the parking 

meter symbols according to the last time each meter was emptied. MapInfo Professional will assign 

a color to each time. In Step 2 of 3, choose the parking meter table as your table, and choose the 

field that contains the time each meter was emptied. 

Using Data from a Different Table 

The Join feature within the Thematic – Step 2 of 3 dialog box enables you to use data from other 

open tables to create a thematic map. Choose Join in the Field list box to display the Update 

Column dialog box where you can create a temporary column in the base table. 

The temporary column can contain data taken directly from the other table, or you can aggregate the 

data to create derived information for the temporary column. 

For example, you have two tables: a table of county boundaries and a table of police stations. You 

want to shade the table of county boundaries according to the number of police stations in each 

county. 

To do this, all the information you want to use must be in the county table. Therefore, you must add 

police station data to this table. 

Using Update Column, you create a temporary column in the county boundaries table that will store 

the police station information. To create this column, the two tables must have a link so that MapInfo 

Professional can access the data that goes into the temporary column. The link can either be a 

matching field (like county name), or you can make the link geographically (police stations contained 

within counties). 

An example later in this chapter explains more about Update Column. 

• For details on how thematic mapping works, see Methods of Thematic Mapping in the Help 

System. 


Methods of Thematic Mapping 



When you create a thematic map in MapInfo Professional, the thematic shading is added to your 

map as a separate layer. It is drawn on top of the base map layer. 

Separating Thematic Layers 

Separating thematic layers from the base map layer provides you with several important options: 

• Graduated symbol thematic maps do not require that your base map contain point objects. 

Instead, graduated symbol objects are built regardless of the map object type. Therefore, even if 

your base map contains region or line objects, you will still be able to create a graduated 

symbols map. 

• You can have multiple thematic layers per base map layer. In some cases, you do not have to 

add another base layer to the map to create another thematic layer. You can display more than 

one thematic layer at a time, as well as perform bivariate thematic mapping. 

• You can use Layer Control to turn the display on or off for a given thematic layer. The layer it is 

based on can continue to display. You can also set individual zoom layers on thematic maps. 

Ordering of Thematic Layers 

To display thematic layers properly, they must be in a specific order. This is especially important 

when you want to display more than one thematic layer at a time. For example, you would want pie 

or bar charts for an area map to display on top of regions that are shaded in order to see them. 

The following lists the order of map layers from top to bottom (note that map layers are drawn from 

the bottom up): 

1. Pies, Bars, or Graduated Symbol thematic layer. 

2. Dot Density thematic layer. 

3. Ranged thematic layer – where Color or Size Attributes are applied. 

4. Ranged (or Individual Value) thematic layer – where All Attributes are applied. 

5. Major layer or base layer. 

6. Grid thematic layer. 

When you create a new thematic layer, MapInfo Professional automatically inserts it into its proper 

place. 

Displaying Thematic Layers 

You can turn the display on and off for thematic layers the same way you can for other map layers. 

All the display settings in Layer Control are also applicable to thematic layers, enabling you to set a 

zoom level for each thematic layer. You can also access the Modify Thematic Map dialog box 

through Layer Control by double-click the thematic layer. 




Figure: Layer Control (Showing Thematic Layer above Base Map) 

Thematic layers are displayed in the list with this naming convention: 

with/by 

The type of thematic map is noted first, followed by the list of variables used to create the map. For 

example, a pie thematic layer that uses commuting data is listed this way: 

Pies with ComAlone, ComCarpool... 

The variable list is truncated if there is not enough room to display each variable in your analysis. 

Types of Thematic Maps 

With MapInfo Professional you can create seven types of thematic maps: 

• Ranges 

• Bar Charts 

• Pie Charts 

• Granulated 

• Dot Density 

• Individual 

• Grid 

Each has its own purpose and unique attributes. For example, using Ranges of Values, you could 

thematically shade a map of the world according to population density. You could shade the 

countries with graduated shades of red, the darkest red representing the most densely populated 

countries, and the palest red representing the least densely populated countries. At a glance you 

can see the distribution of the world’s population. 

You are not limited to representing numeric values with thematic mapping. Nominal values also may 

be shaded thematically. For example, you have a table of underground cables. Those cables that 

haven’t been serviced in the past six months are labeled priority status. Using Individual Values, you 

can shade the cables according to their repair status. All records with the same value will be shaded 

the same. See the individual sections later in this chapter for more information on each type of 

thematic map. They offer general information on the methods available for creating thematic maps. 

For more information on any of these methods and options, see Thematic Mapping in the Online 

Help. 


Ranged Maps 



When you create a ranged thematic map, MapInfo Professional groups all records into ranges and 

assigns each record’s object the color, symbol, or line for its corresponding range. For example, if 

you wanted to visualize the population of the world by growth rate, you would shade countries 

according to their reported growth rate amounts. 

With the Ranged map feature, MapInfo Professional groups the growth rate amounts into ranges. 

For example, in the next table, all countries that had growth rates between zero and one percent are 

grouped into one range. Countries that had growth rates between one and 2.2 are grouped in a 

separate range. Countries that have rates between 2.2 and 3.1 are in a third range, and those 

countries reporting greater than 3.1 are in a fourth range. 

Figure: Ranged Map 

All records are assigned to a range and then assigned a color based on that range. For example, the 

countries with the higher growth rates are shaded in red. The other ranges are shaded in lighter 

shades of red to light green and finally darker green. When you display the map, the colors make it 

readily apparent which locations have the highest growth rate in relation to their neighbors. 

Ranges are also useful when the size of the region is not directly related to the magnitude of the 

data values. In our population density example in this section, we see that countries that are small in 

size can be very densely populated, and countries that are large in size may not be densely 

populated. Differences like these are more readily apparent when the regions are shaded in this 

manner. 

Types of Ranged Values 

MapInfo Professional can create ranges automatically using five methods: Equal Count, Equal 

Ranges, Natural Break (Standard Deviation), Quantile, and Custom. To set ranges manually, use 

Custom. 

Equal Count has the same number of records in each range. If you want MapInfo Professional to 

group 100 records into 4 ranges using Equal Count, MapInfo Professional computes the ranges so 

that approximately 25 records fall into each range, depending on the rounding factor you set. 




When using Equal Count (or any other range method), it’s important to watch out for any extreme 

data values that might affect your thematic map (in statistics, these values are referred to as 

outliers). For example, if you tell MapInfo Professional to shade according to Equal Count with this 

database: 

John 5000 Andrea 7000 

Penny 6000 Kyle 5500 

Miguel 4500 Angela 7500 

Linda 5000 Elroy 6000 

Ben 100 Mark 7000 

Ben and Miguel are grouped in the same range (since they have the two lowest values). This may 

not produce the results you want since the value for Ben is so much lower than any of the other 

values. 

Equal Ranges divides records across ranges of equal size. For example, you have a field in your 

table with data values ranging from 1 to 100. You want to create a thematic map with four equal size 

ranges. MapInfo Professional produces ranges 1–25, 25–50, 50–75, and 75–100. (Since ranges use 

“=>” and “



Quantiling enables you to build ranges that determine the distribution of a thematic variable across 

a segment of your data. For example, you can quantile state population by urban population to 

illustrate how urban population is distributed across the United States. Your legend will not indicate 

that you have used Quantile to build your ranges. You can customize the legend so that it shows 

which field you used to quantile the table. 

When you create ranges using Standard Deviation, the middle range breaks at the mean of your 

values, and the ranges above and below the middle range are one standard deviation above or 

below the mean. You can also define your own ranges using Custom. 


• Creating a Map by a Range of Values 

• Customizing a Range Map 

• Customizing the Ranges of a Range Map 

• Customizing the Styles of a Range Map 

• Customizing Range Styles and Inflection Points 

• Customizing the Legend of a Range Map 

• Modifying a Thematic Map 

Bar Chart Maps 

Unlike thematic maps for single variables such as ranges of values or graduated symbols, a 

thematic bar chart map allows you to examine more than one variable per record at a time. A bar 

chart is built for every map object at the centroid of the object, enabling you to analyze the thematic 

variables in a particular chart by comparing the height of the bars. You can also examine the same 

variable across all the charts in your map. 

You can customize the color of each bar, create a frame around each chart, and fill the empty space 

inside the frame with a pattern or color. In addition, you can change the bar chart’s orientation, such 

as displaying horizontal bars instead of vertical (the default). You can also control where to display 

the chart: over the object’s centroid (the default) or any of eight other locations. 

You can also change the type of bar chart. In our example, you can create a multi-bar chart, where 

each thematic variable has its own bar, or a stacked bar chart with each thematic variable on top of 

one another, or a graduated bar chart, where the bars are graduated in size based on some value. 

You can also scale the bars in a multi-bar chart independently from one another. To show negative 

values in a bar chart map, the bars extend in the opposite direction to the chart’s orientation. Note 

that negative values do not display in stacked bar charts. 


Figure: Bar Chart Map 


• Creating a Bar Chart Map 

• Customizing Bar Chart Styles on your Map 

• Customizing the Legend of a Bar Chart 


Pie Chart Maps 



Thematic maps using pie charts enables you to examine more than one variable per record at a 

time. Like comparing the height of the bars in bar charts, in pie charts you compare the wedges in a 

single pie, or examine a particular wedge across all pies. Pie charts enable you to compare parts of 

a whole. 

Both pie and bar charts are particularly useful for analyzing demographic data. For example, you 

have a table of demographic information for the United States. Your table shows the populations of 

several major demographic groups. Using pie charts, you can show the population of each 

demographic group, and see what fraction of the pie it makes up in each pie. This enables you to 

see the distribution of demographic groups on a per state basis, or across the entire United States. 




You can also look at one demographic group and see how the population of the group varies in 

different states. For best results, use no more than four to six pie wedges per pie chart in your 

analysis. 

You can customize the color of each pie wedge as well as the borders of the wedges and the whole 

pie. You can also specify the angle at which you want to place the first pie wedge, and whether the 

variables go in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Like bar charts, you can also change the 

pie’s orientation. The default is to place the pie over the centroid of the object. 

You can choose from graduated pies or half pies. Graduated pies graduate the size of the pies 

according to the sum of their components. Half pies distribute your data across half a pie instead. 


• Creating a Pie Chart 

• Customizing a Pie Chart 

• Customizing the Legend of a Pie Chart 


Graduated Symbol Maps 

Graduated symbol maps use symbols to represent different values. You can use graduated symbols 

regardless of the type of map object with which you are working. 

For instance, use graduated symbols to show the number of housing units by city. When you select 

the graduated symbols option, MapInfo Professional varies the size of each symbol according to the 

value in the sales order field. 

You can also represent how much interest each customer has expressed in a given product by 

assigning a symbol whose size is proportional to the customer’s interest. 




Graduated symbols maps work best when you use numeric data. If you are working with a layer of 

restaurants, it makes no sense to create graduated symbols based on the type of cuisine each 

restaurant serves. However, graduated symbols are appropriate when you want to show the relative 

number of housing units by city as in the next figure. 

Figure: Graduated Symbol Map 

There are three attributes you can customize on a graduated symbols map: the color, type, and size 

of the symbol. To change the symbol’s attributes in Thematic Step 3 of 3, choose Customize 

Settings and click the symbol icon in the Customize Graduated Symbols dialog box to access the 

Symbol Style dialog box. The default symbol is a red circle. 

tIn the Customize Graduated Symbols dialog box, the size of the symbol in the Symbol box is the 

size for the value listed in the at Value box. All values between the high value and zero have 

interpolated point sizes. If you want the symbols at the low end to be larger, increase the point size. 

You can also display symbols for negative data values. To change it, click Options in the Customize 

Graduated Symbols dialog box. There is a separate symbol picker so that you can make this symbol 

as distinct from the symbol for positive values as you want. When you click the icon a different 

Symbol Style dialog box displays, enabling you to choose a different symbol type, change the color 

or the size, or change any combination of the three attributes. The default symbol for negative 

values is a blue circle, and all values between zero and the low value (a negative number) also have 

interpolated point sizes. 


• Creating a Graduated Symbols Map 

• Customizing a Graduated Symbols Map 

• Customizing the Styles of a Graduated Symbols Map 


• Customizing the Legend of a Graduated Symbols Map 


Dot Density Maps 



Dot density maps use dots to represent the data value associated with a boundary or region. The 

total number of dots in a region represents that region’s data value. If you have 10,000 senior 

citizens in a county, and each dot represents 100 senior citizens, there would be 100 dots in the 

county boundary. 

Dot density is particularly useful for showing raw data where one dot represents a large number of 

something: population, number of fast food restaurants, number of distributors who carry a brand of 

soda, etc. 

For example, if you have a table of age demographics broken down into postal codes, you could use 

the dot density option to show the concentration of small children in each postal code boundary. 

1 Rensselaer County 

There are three customizing options for dot density maps. You can specify the value of one dot. For 

example, you have a table of population statistics, broken down by county. There are 10,000 preschool 

students in Rensselaer County, New York. If you display Rensselaer County according to the 

number of pre-school students using the dot density method, each dot could represent 200 students. 

In that case, there would be 50 dots in Rensselaer County. You can specify the number of units 

each dot represents using the Customize Dot Density Settings dialog box. 

When you increase the value each dot represents, you decrease the number of dots that display on 

the map. You could modify your dot density map so that one dot represents 400 students. In that 

case, there would only be 25 dots in Rensselaer County. 

A second option is to change the size of the dots according to your needs, either large or small. If 

you are working with large populations, or large counts of something, make the dot size smaller so 

that the distribution of dots is easier to see. 


1



Conversely, if your working with a small data set, making the dot size larger might illustrate your 

analysis more clearly. 

� Distribution of dots is random within the region. If you shade states according to population, 

the dots for New York are spread out throughout the state; they are not concentrated in New 

York City, where the majority of the state’s population lives. 

Thirdly, in the Customize Dot Density Settings dialog box, change the color of the dot to either red or 

black to add more variety to the final map. In this dialog box, you can select Circle or Square dot 

thematics and specify the dot density width (in pixels) of the square or circle. In general, squares 

look clearer at small sizes. At larger sizes, it may be more appropriate to use circles. You can create 

multiple dot density maps on the same layer by varying these options. 

In the Creating a Thematic Map - Step 3 of 3 dialog box, select the Customize Settings button to 

display the Customize Dot Density Setting dialog box. Here you can change the number of units that 

each dot represents, and also select the dot shape (square or circle) size, and color. You can specify 

a circle size from 2 to 25 pixels in width. For a square, the size can range from 1 to 25 pixels. 

Figure: Customize Dot Density Settings 

More Dot Density Choices for Thematic Maps 

For thematic maps, you can select Circle or Square dot thematics and specify the dot density width 

(in pixels) of the square or circle. In general, squares look clearer at small sizes. At larger sizes, it 

may be more appropriate to use circles. 

In the Creating a Thematic Map - Step 3 of 3 dialog box, select the Customize Settings button to 

display the Customize Dot Density Setting dialog box. Here you can change the number of units that 

each dot represents, and also select the dot shape (square or circle) size, and color. You can specify 

a circle size from 2 to 25 pixels in width. For a square, the size can range from 1 to 25 pixels. 


• Creating a Dot Density Map 

• Customizing a Dot Density Map 

• Customizing the Styles of a Dot Density Map 

• Customizing the Legend of a Dot Density Map 



Individual Value Maps 



Individual Value maps show points, lines, or boundaries that are shaded by individual values 

contained in a particular field. You can use both numerical and nominal values in individual values 

maps. MapInfo Professional gives each unique value its own color or symbol. When an individual 

values map uses symbol types, the symbols are taken from the base table. 

For example, a soft drink distributor maintains a table of the supermarkets that buy soft drinks from 

him. Each supermarket sells the distributor’s brand of soft drink for a different price. If the distributor 

shades the supermarket points by price, using individual values, all stores that sell the soft drink for 

49 cents are shaded one color, all stores that sell the soft drink for 51 cents are shaded another 

color, and so on. Each unique value is assigned its own color. The distributor is able to see the price 

distribution among the supermarkets and can determine where he should increase his sales volume, 

based on the price. 

If you are shading your points, lines or boundaries using nominal data, you can shade only by 

individual values. Nominal data is either non-numerical data (name, type of cuisine served, or brand 

of automobile sold) or numeric data where the numbers represent non-numeric data like an ID 

number. Dates are considered numeric data and can be used in both ranged and individual values 

maps. 

For example, you have the results from a consumer survey. One question on the survey reads 

“What is your favorite Sunday afternoon activity?” The possible responses are: 

1. Sleeping 

2. Watching TV 

3. Taking a drive 

4. Reading 

5. Playing or watching sports 


6. Visiting museums or art galleries 

7. Going to the movies 



You want to shade each consumer point with the response for the favorite Sunday activity. The 

SUNDAY column of your table contains the number that corresponds to the consumer’s favorite 

activity. However, the numbers in this column do not represent quantitative values. Going to the 

movies is not greater than Playing or watching sports even though 7 > 5. When numbers are used 

as names instead of values, you must shade your objects by individual values. The numbers are 

only used to reference the pastimes so color can be assigned to them. 


• Creating an Individual Values Map 

• Customizing an Individual Values Map 

• Customizing the Styles of an Individual Values Map 

• Customizing the Legend of an Individual Values Map 

• Custom Sort Order for Individual Value Thematic Legends 


Important Notes: 

When you are creating and merging theme templates: 

• MapInfo Professional saves the custom label order only when the option to Save Individual 

Value categories is selected in the Save Theme to a Template dialog box. This implies that 

when you create a theme based on a template, MapInfo Professional applies the custom label 

order only when the thematic expression creates the same categories as those in the template. 

• When you are merging theme templates, the custom label order from the source template is 

applied to the current theme only when the option to Merge Individual categories is selected in 

the Merge a Template to a Theme dialog box and the template and current theme have the same 

number of categories. 

• Saving a Template - The entry for theme templates in the Options > Preferences > Directories 

dialog box allows you to designate the directory where theme templates reside. 

• For more information, see Saving Individual Categories in a Theme Template for an Existing 

Thematic Map and Saving Individual Categories in a Theme Template when Creating a 

Thematic Map in the Help System. 

Grid Surface Maps 

A grid surface theme is a continuous raster grid produced by an interpolation of point data. MapInfo 

Professional takes a data column or expression from a table and passes those centroids and their 

data values to an interpolator. The interpolator produces a raster grid file, which appears as a raster 

table in a Map window. 

Grid mapping displays data as continuous color gradations across the map. This type of thematic 

map is produced by an interpolation of point data from the source table. A grid file is generated from 

the data interpolation and displayed as a raster image in a Map window. 


• Working with Grid Thematic Layers 


• Spreading Inflections by Equal Cell Count 


Creating a Thematic Map 



There are many kinds of thematic maps, but the process for creating each type of map is the same. 

In this section, we cover the creation of thematic maps in general terms. You can find more specific 

instructions for creating specific types of thematic maps in the Help System. 

Step 1: Choosing a Type of Thematic Template 

Templates allow you to make a thematic map based on values and settings. In our default types, you 

can alter these settings and/or save them as a new template you can use again. When you first 

create a thematic map, you select a template that you can modify to suit your requirements. You 

cannot create a theme without using an existing theme template. 

Template Sort by Name 

Displays available templates in alphabetical order according to their name. 

Template Sort by Time 

Displays available templates according to the time they were created or last modified. 

Preview Legend Sample (Template Type) 

Displays a sample legend for the template type. 

Use Customized Legend Text 

Displays customized text for the legend. If enabled, the template has custom titles or range labels. 

Check to use the custom text. 

Cancel Button 

Cancels the options dialog box and returns to the map. 

Next Button 

Continue to next step. 

Range Template 

Displays your data according to the ranges you set. Ranges are shaded with colors and/or patterns. 

Choose from templates displayed as shaded lines, points or regions. Ranged thematic maps allow 

you to illustrate data values across points, lines and regions. They are used to show a relationship 

between the data values and geographical area (e.g. sales figures, household income) or to present 

ratio information such as population density (population divided by area). Ratio information can be 

shown in other types of thematic maps when you choose Expression in Step 2. 




Bar Chart Template 

Displays a bar chart of your thematic variables for each record in your table. Use bar charts to 

analyze multiple variables per record on the map. Make comparisons between the size of the bars in 

each chart to obtain information about a record in the table set, or compare one bar in all the bar 

charts to draw conclusions about a variable across all of the records, or compare the height of the 

bar charts to obtain information about the entire table. To indicate a negative value in a bar chart, 

bars extend in the direction opposite to the charts orientation. Negative values do not display in 

stacked bar charts. 

Pie Chart Template 

Displays a pie chart of your thematic variables for each record in your table. Pie charts are multivariable. 

Use pie charts on the map to analyze more than one variable at a time. You can compare 

the size of the pie wedges in each chart to obtain information about a record in the table, or compare 

one pie wedge in all of the pie charts to draw conclusions about a variable across all the records, or 

compare the diameter of the pie charts to obtain information about the entire data set. 

Graduated Template 

Displays a symbol for each record in your table, the size of which is directly proportional to your data 

values. A graduated symbol map shows data points with specific numerical values. It is useful for 

illustrating quantitative information, such as high-to-low rankings. The size of the symbols is 

proportional to the data values of the points. Points that have larger data values appear larger, and 

points that have smaller data values appear smaller. 

• For instructions on creating a Graduated Symbols thematic map, see Creating a Graduated 

Symbols Thematic Map in the Help System. 

Dot Density Template 

Displays the data values as dots on your map, where each dot is equal to a number, and the total 

number of dots in a region is proportional to the data value for that region. A dot density map allows 

you to examine raw counts of data (e.g. population). Each dot represents a number of units. That 

number, multiplied by the total number of dots in the region, equals the data value for that region. 

• For instructions on creating a Dot Density thematic map, see Creating a Dot Density Thematic 

Map in the Help System. 

Individual Values Template 

Shades records according to individual data values. Individual value templates are multi-variable. 

Choose from shaded lines, points or regions. A thematic map that draws map objects according to 

individual values is useful when you want to emphasize categorical differences in the data rather 

than show quantitative information (e.g. types of stores in a given area, zoning classifications in a 

given area etc.). 

• For instructions on creating a Individual Values thematic map, see Creating an Individual Values 

Thematic Map in the Help System. 

Grid Template 

Grid mapping displays data as continuous color gradations across the map. This type of thematic is 

produced by an interpolation of point data from the source table. A grid file is generated from the 

data interpolation and displayed as a raster image in a Map window. 


Step 2: Choosing Thematic Values 



Choose the map layer on which you want to base the map, and the field or expression from which 

you want to obtain the data values (thematic variable). 

A thematic variable can be the data value that is associated with the graphic objects (regions, lines, 

and points) displayed in your map, such as the values in a column like Pop_1990, Buy_Power, or 

Median Age. 

You can also obtain your thematic variable from another table using Table > Update Column. 

Update Column creates a temporary column in your base table where you can aggregate or 

calculate information about your data. 

You can also use an expression for your thematic variable. For example, you could use the following 

expression to display population density: 

Pop_1990/Area(obj, "sq mi") 

You can access the Expression dialog box in Step 2 of creating a thematic map. See the Help 

topics, Using Expressions in a Thematic Map and Creating Expressions for more information. 

Your map may have more than one variable, depending on the thematic method you choose. Pie 

and Bar chart maps contain more than one variable; the other five types of thematic maps contain 

one variable. Depending on your choice of a one-variable or multi-variable thematic map, one of two 

Create Thematic Map- Step 2 of 3 dialog boxes displays. 

One-Variable Thematic Maps 

Ranged, graduated symbol, dot density, individual value, and grid thematic maps examine one 

variable. The Create Thematic Map - Step 2 of 3 dialog box that displays for these kinds of maps 

asks you to choose only a table and one field or expression. 

1. Choose a table from the Table drop-down list. The drop-down list displays the tables that are 

mapped in the active Map window. 

2. Choose the table on which you want to base the map. 

If you have objects selected in the Map window, the Selection from TABLE item also displays in 

the list. This enables you to create a thematic map based on the selected items without having to 

map the selection. You can also base your thematic map on a mapped query table. 

3. Choose a field from the Field drop-down list. The drop-down list displays all the numeric fields in 

the table you selected from the Table list. Choose the field or expression that contains the data 

values. 

4. Select the Ignore Zeroes or Blanks check box to ignore zero values and blank values in the 

table. Because you are creating a thematic map based on one field in a table, any zero or blank 

values in that field will cause the whole record to be ignored. If you are creating a grid map, you 

can choose a table of regions to clip the grid against. 

5. Choose Next to go on to Step 3 - Customizing Your Thematic Map. 


Multi-Variable Thematic Maps 



Pie and Bar Chart thematic maps allow you to analyze more than one variable at a time. In the 

Create Thematic Map - Step 2 of 3 dialog box, you choose the fields or expressions you want to use 

as the variables, and list them in an order that best suits your analysis. You can use up to 8 variables 

in a bar or pie chart thematic map. 

To create a multi-variable thematic map in the Create Thematic Map - Step 2 of 3 dialog box: 

1. Choose the table on which you want to base the map from the Table drop-down list. The dropdown 

list displays the tables that are mapped in the active Map window. 

If you have objects selected in the Map window, the Selection from TABLE item also displays in 

the list. This enables you to create a thematic map based on the selected items without having to 

map the selection. 

Fields from TABLE displays all the numeric fields in the table you selected from the Table list. 

2. Choose the field, or create an expression that contains the data values. 

Fields for Pie/Bar Chart indicates the fields or expressions you have chosen for your pie or bar 

chart thematic map. The order of the variables in the Field for the Pie/Bar Chart list is the order 

in which the variables appear in the legend. 

• For bar chart thematic maps, the order in which the variables display in the legend is the 

order in which the bars display from left to right on the map. 

• For pie chart maps, the first variable in the legend corresponds to the pie wedge that begins 

at the angle specified in the Customize Pie Style dialog box. 

3. To display the Customize Pie Style dialog box, click Styles in the Create Thematic Map - Step 3 

of 3 dialog box. 

• Click Up to move the selected field or expression up one place in the Fields for Pie/Bar 

Chart list. Up is unavailable when the selected item is the first item in the list. 

• Click Down to move the selected field or expression down one place in the Fields for 

Pie/Bar Chart list. Down is unavailable when the selected item is the last item in the list. 

• Click the Right Arrow button to move the selected field in the Fields from TABLE list to the 

Fields for Pie/Bar Chart list. 

• Click the Left Arrow button to move the selected field in the Fields for Pie/Bar Chart list to 

the Fields from TABLE list. 

4. Choose Next to go on to Step 3. 

Step 3: Customizing Your Thematic Map 

The last step allows you to customize your thematic map, or create the map based on the default 

settings. You can also preview the map's legend before you display the map, and change the 

legend's label order. Use these features: 

Preview Legend Sample (Thematic Map) 

Displays a sample legend of the thematic map you are creating. 

Customize 

The buttons in the Customize group enable you to change the default settings of particular aspects 

of your thematic map. For more information see the Help topic, Modifying A Thematic Map. 




Settings 

Allows you to customize settings on a ranged map. This option is available for ranged and grid 

maps. 

Styles 

Enables you to customize style attributes such as color and size. This option is available for ranged, 

pie, bar, and individual value maps. 

Legend 

Enables you to customize your legend. This option is available for all types of thematic maps. For 

instructions on this process, see the Customizing the Legend of a Thematic Map topic in the Help 

System. 

Number of Columns 

Use this field to indicate the number of columns in which you want the legend entries to display. 

Legend Label Order 

Determines the order in which range and value labels (for ranged and individual values maps) and 

field labels (for all other thematic maps) appear in the legend. If you are creating a ranged map, the 

order you specify is also shown in the Customize Range Styles dialog box. Use these entries to 

indicate whether the legend entries should display in Ascending or Descending or alphabetical 

order. Click Custom to select a custom label order and to enable the Order button. 

Order 

Use this button to display the Customize Legend Label Order dialog box. Here you can click an entry 

in the list and use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to properly position the label entries until 

they are in the order you want. Click OK to save the custom order. 

Associate Theme with Table 

The options you select in this group determine the default theme display for the current map. 

Save As Default Theme View 

Use this check box to save this theme to the map’s metadata so that the theme you have chosen 

displays each time you open the map. 

� To ensure that this feature works, you must set the Automatically Open Default Theme 

option in the Map Window Preferences dialog box. 

Remove Default Theme View 

Use this check box to remove the saved default theme from the map’s metadata. 

Template 

The buttons in the Templates group enable you to specify a name for a template, save the thematic 

map as a template, and when modifying an existing theme merge the thematic map with another 

template. 

Save As 

Displays the Save Theme to a Template dialog box. Type a unique name or select an existing name 

and overwrite it. If you overwrite an existing template, you are prompted to confirm this action. 




Merge 

The Merge button is enabled only when you are modifying an existing theme, not when you are 

creating a thematic map. 

When you click OK a thematic map is created based on either the default or customized settings. 

Customizing the Legend of a Thematic Map 

To customize the legend for a thematic map, choose the Legend button in the Create Thematic Map 

- Step 3 of 3 dialog box. It displays the Customize Legend dialog box where you can customize the 

legend's title, subtitle, fonts, or range labels. You can also specify if you want to display a legend for 

this thematic layer. 

• For more information, see Customizing the Legend of a Thematic Map, Showing or Hiding a 

Legend, and Deleting a Frame from a Legend in the Help System. 

Saving a Theme to a Map Window 

To save a thematic map to a Map window’s table, you must select the Automatically Open Default 

Theme check box in the Map Window Preferences dialog box. 

• For more information, see Saving a Theme to a Map Window in the Help System. 

Thematic Maps as Layers 

If you have created a thematic map, it will be listed in Map > Layer Control as a separate layer. 

Thematic layer names are indented and display above their corresponding data layers in the layer 

list. You can modify the attributes of the thematic map through Layer Control. 

� A Grid thematic layer will not be indented in the Layer Control window; a grid thematic layer 

is a read-only layer. 

To modify the attributes of a thematic Map: 

1. Choose Map > Layer Control. The Layer Control window displays. 

2. Double-click the thematic layer. The Modify Thematic Layer dialog box displays. 

3. Change the thematic settings, style, or legends from this dialog box. 

4. Click OK. The map redraws with your changes. 

� The availability of certain dialog boxes depends on the type of thematic map you are 

altering. 

For a full discussion of altering thematic maps, see Modifying a Thematic Map. 


Changing the Display Parameters of a Map 

Changing a Map's Proportions 


Changing the Display Parameters of a Map 

When you want to change the proportions of a map, resize the original Map window. MapInfo 

Professional automatically transmits that change to the layout frame. You cannot change a map's 

proportions by moving the edges of the frame over the map. MapInfo Professional simply resizes the 

map, preserving its view. 

Changing Your View of a Map 

You change a map's zoom level by specifying certain parameters in the Change View dialog box. 

To change a map's zoom level do one of the following: 

1. Choose Map > Change View. The Change View dialog box displays. 

2. Click the Change View button on the Main toolbar. The Change View dialog box displays. 

The Change View dialog box allows you to set various parameters of the map including: 

3. Display the current zoom, scale or cursor position in the status bar (the default unit of distance is 

miles which is specified in Map > Options). 

4. Change the zoom, scale, and the center point of the current map view. 

5. Behavior of the map when you resize the window. 

6. Resize the map to fit the new window, keeping the view the same. 

7. Set the map to preserve the current scale, so that resizing the window has the effect of letting 

you see more or less of the map. 

Resetting the Map Scale 

You can use a frame's Frame Object dialog box to size the map so that it has a specific scale. For 

example, when you want one inch to equal 50 miles, type 50 into the Scale box, the map is rescaled 

so that one inch on the Layout page equals 50 miles. 

This example assumes the map distance units are in miles and the Layout paper units are in inches. 

To reset the map scale: 

1. Click the layout, making it the active window. 

2. Double-click the map frame to bring up the Object Frame dialog box. 

3. Set the map scale to the desired value. 


Working with Thematic Maps and Legends 



This section covers changing and saving thematic map information and thematic legends. 

Modifying a Thematic Map 

Once you create your theme, it is likely that you will want to change something about it. MapInfo 

Professional provides two ways to reach the Modify Thematic Map dialog box where you can 

customize a variety of settings, styles, and legend components. 

To modify a thematic map, do one of the following: 

• On the Map menu, click Modify Thematic Map 

• Double-click the theme’s legend frame within the legend window to display the dialog box. 

When you are modifying a map, a quick way to change a number of settings at once is to change the 

template of the current theme. 

To merge a template into your current map: 

1. On the Map menu, click Modify Thematic Map to display the Modify Thematic Map dialog box. 

2. In the Modify Thematic Map dialog box, click the Merge button in the Templates group. The 

Merge a Template into the Current Theme dialog box displays with a list of the same type 

templates as your theme (all range of values templates, for example.) 

3. Choose the new template and click OK to return to the Modify Thematic Map dialog box. 

4. Click OK again to display the map with the new thematic template. The settings in this template 

will be applied to your theme. 

The Merge feature is only available once you have created the thematic map. 

Using the Theme Templates 

You can use the theme templates for region ranges, region individual values, point ranges, and grid 

elevations. Some of the new region range templates are sequential (variations on a particular color 

to show intensity), and some are color diverging (starting with one color and moving to other 

complementary colors) and each has its purpose. Sequential templates are helpful when you are 

showing a progression of data, that is, when the data is straight forward. An example might be 

population. 


Figure: Sequential Template Example 



Diverging templates are useful when showing data that diverges more dramatically. An example 

might be world literacy rates: 

Figure: Divergent Theme Example 

The areas in green are areas we do not have data for. 

Saving Your Thematic Settings 

MapInfo Professional provides a way to save your themes and the templates from which you created 

them. 

Saving Thematic Map Layers 

To save your thematic maps, on the File menu, click Save Workspace. A workspace is a listing of 

all the tables and settings used in a map. When you open the workspace, MapInfo Professional 

opens the tables and re-creates the thematic map. If you close a table or Map window without saving 




your session to a workspace, MapInfo Professional displays the Save Map Objects dialog box and 

prompts you to do so. The dialog box indicates what types of objects will be lost (for example, 

thematic layers, label layers) if you do not save your session to a workspace. You can turn off the 

warning prompt in Map Window preferences. 

Saving Thematic Templates 

Every thematic map begins with a template from which you can then customize for your particular 

needs. These settings can be saved for future use. In the Create Thematic Map – Step 3 of 3, 

choose the Save As button in the Template group box. The Save Theme to a Template dialog box 

displays. To save your new settings to the existing template, click OK. To retain both the new and 

the original template, type a different name into the Name field. To recover any template that ships 

with MapInfo Professional, copy it from the \THMTMPLT directory on the product DVD. Templates 

have the extension .THM. In MapInfo Professional files are stored on a per-user basis. 

For individual value themes you can also save the actual categories in a theme template. For 

example, if you choose to build an individual value theme on a table to show land usage, you can 

assign a different region style to each type of land usage (commercial, forest, residential, farm land 

etc.). You may then want to take those same assignments and apply them to another table. You can 

do this by storing the category in a template, it will be associated appropriately when the template is 

applied to the second table. 

To save individual categories in a theme template when creating a new thematic map or for an 

existing thematic map, from the Modify Thematic Map dialog box press the Save As button and 

specify a template Name. Check the Save Individual Value Categories box and click OK. A 

template is saved that can be used to apply the stored individual categories to a second table. When 

you choose Map menu and click Create Thematic Map the template's name will appear in the 

Template Name field of the Create Thematic Map - Step 1 of 3 dialog box. 

Creating a Theme Legend 

To create a theme legend: 

1. Display a thematic layer. 

2. Choose Map > Create Legend. The Create Legend Step 1 of 3 dialog box displays. 

3. Proceed to the Create Legend Step 3 of 3 dialog box. 

Only title/subtitles can be set for theme frames. If a theme layer is selected, the title/subtitle 

currently set for the thematic legend displays; you may edit these. 

The other options are not available. Changing a theme legend's title/subtitle affects all 

occurrences of the thematic legend. Additionally, fonts designated in the Create Legend Step 2 

of 3 dialog box are not applied to thematic legends. 

Using Theme Legends in the Cartographic Legend Window 

To use a theme legend in the Cartographic Legend window: 

1. Make a thematic map the active Map window and choose Map > Create Legend. The Create 

Legend Step 1 of 3 dialog box displays. 



Updating Columns using Thematic Mapping 

2. Select the thematic layer as one of the legend frames you want to include in the legend. Select 

any other layers you want to include. Click Next. The Create Legend Step 2 of 3 dialog box 

displays. 

3. Fill in the Legend Properties and Legend Frame defaults. Click Next. The Create Legend Step 3 

of 3 dialog box displays. 

4. Select the theme frame to edit the title and subtitle(s). Click Finish when you are ready to display 

the legend. 

Only title/subtitles can be set for theme frames. If a theme layer is selected, the title/subtitle currently 

set for the thematic legend displays; you may edit these. The other options are not available. 

Changing a theme legend's title/subtitle affects all occurrences of the thematic legend. Additionally, 

fonts designated in Step 2 of 3 will not be applied to thematic legends. 


As explained earlier in this chapter, you can use data from another table to construct your thematic 

map using Update Column. Update Column creates a temporary column in your base table and 

automatically inserts data into it for your map. This data can be a field taken directly from another 

table, or aggregated from other data. 

For example, you have a table of U.S. state boundaries and a table of U.S. city point locations. 

Using ranges of values you want to shade the STATES table according to the percentage of each 

state’s population living in urban areas. For MapInfo Professional to calculate this percentage, the 

population for the cities must be in the STATES table. 

� Some of the files used in this example may be from the MapInfo Professional Tutorial data 

and is only available from the Pitney Bowes Software Inc. web site, 


To create a temporary column using Update Column: 

1. Open the base table (USA.TAB) and the city table (USCTY153.TAB). 

2. On the Map menu, click Create Thematic Map. The Create Thematic Map Step 1 of 3 

displays. 




3. Choose Ranges and select a template name from the list. This is the style of the thematic map 

you are creating. Click Next to display the Create Thematic Map Step 2 of 3 dialog box. 

4. Choose USA, since this is the table you want to shade and in the Field drop-down list, choose 

Join. The Update Column for Thematic dialog box displays. 

Table to Update is already set to STATES and Column to Update is automatically set to Add 

new temporary column. 




5. Select the CITY_125 in the Get Value From Table box. If that is the only other table open, 

MapInfo Professional automatically displays its title in the list box. 

� When you create a temporary column for a thematic map, the field must be a numeric 

field. This is true for all thematic maps except individual values. 

Since in our example, we are looking for the percentage of the population living in urban areas in 

the United States, we need to calculate the total of the CITY_125 population; that is, we must 

calculate the total of the population of each city in a each state. We need to put that sum into the 

temporary column. 

6. In the Calculate box choose Sum. In the of box, choose Tot_pop. 

To put the data from the CITY_125 table into the temporary column of the STATES table, there 

must be a link between the two tables that MapInfo Professional can use to access the data. 

MapInfo Professional can often make this link automatically. In this example, both our tables 

have a State field. 

7. Click Join to display the Specify Join dialog box. 

When you choose Join in the Update Column for Thematic dialog box, you can see that MapInfo 

Professional has already set up the Specify Join dialog box with the STATE fields from both 

tables. If the join were not calculated automatically it would be necessary to specify the matching 

fields or geographic join. 

8. Choose OK. MapInfo Professional calculates the sum and returns you to the Thematic – Step 2 

of 3 dialog box. The Field list box displays the temporary column you created: SumOfTot_pop. 

However, before we create the map, we still need to calculate the percentage of the total 

population of each state that is urban. That information does not exist as a field in the table, so 

you must build an expression to generate it. 

9. In the Field drop-down list, select Expression. The Expression dialog box displays. 

The expression SumOfTot_pop/Pop_1990 * 100 will give you the answer as a percent. 


10. In the Type an expression box, type: 

SumOfTot_pop/Pop_1990*100 



11. Choose Verify to ensure that your syntax is correct, and then choose OK. The Create Thematic 

– Step 2 of 3 dialog box redisplays showing the expression you created. Choose Next to go on 

to the Create Thematic Map Step 3 of 3 dialog box. 

12. Click the Ranges button and choose either Equal Count or Equal Ranges to customize the 

ranges, whichever gives you the best representation of your data. Use Round By to round to a 

decimal place or whole number. Customize the styles to best illustrate your analysis by clicking 

the Styles button. Customize your legend by clicking the Legend button. 

13. Click OK to display your map in a Map window. 




For details about using point or line objects to represent thematic variables, see Bivariate Thematic 

Mapping in the MapInfo Professional Help System. 

Adding Temporary Columns 

Use Update Column to add temporary columns to a table by using data from another table. 

To add a temporary column: 

1. Open at least two tables. 

2. Choose Table > Update Column. The Update Column dialog box displays. 

3. Choose the table to which the temporary column will be added in the Table to Update list. 

4. Choose the table from which MapInfo Professional will retrieve the update information in the Get 

Value from Table list. 

5. To add a temporary column, select the Add new temporary column option from the Column to 

Update list. 

If necessary, specify the information MapInfo Professional will need to associate the data (join) 

in the two tables by using their common tabular or graphic data. 

6. Choose how to produce the column data by specifying how to calculate the information based on 

columns and expressions at the Calculate and of lists. 

7. Select the Browse Results check box to display the table with its new temporary column in 

browser format. 

8. Click OK. The temporary column is added based on the specified information. 

When you make changes to the data table, the new temporary column is automatically updated. 

To save the table with its new temporary columns, use File > Save As. If the temporary columns 

are added to a table in a workspace, the changes are automatically saved when you save the 

workspace. 



Working with Legends 

The Help System contains the following topics about Bivariate Thematic Mapping: 

• Types of Bivariate Maps 

• Creating a Transparent Bivariate Layer (Ranged Theme) 

• Creating a Transparent Bivariate Layer (Individual Value Theme 

• Setting the Default Behavior of the Replace Layer Style Check Box 

• Example of Bivariate Thematic Mapping 

• Using an Inflection Point to Show Distinction 

• Example of an Inflection Point Map 

• Controlling the Number of Inflection Values 

• Applying Rounding Factors to Inflection Values 

• Spreading Inflections by Equal Cell Count 


Legends are an important part of making your map understandable to your audience. In MapInfo 

Professional, you can create two kinds of legends: cartographic and theme legends. Theme legends 

are those associated with thematic maps. Cartographic legends enable you to create a legend for 

any map layer(s) in your Map window. The combination of the two types makes it possible to provide 

cartographic data for all of your map layers. 

Creating a Legend Window 

You can create a Legend window based on layers in the active Map window. 

• The first dialog box allows you to select the layers that will appear in the legend window 

• The second dialog box allows you to set options for each frame in the legend window 

• The third dialog box allows you to create attribute driven legends, save frame settings to 

metadata, create the Legend with joined information. 

To create a legend window: 

1. Choose Map > Create Legend. The Create Legend - Step 1 of 3 dialog box displays. 

The primary function of this step is to choose the layers that will contribute to the legend. The 

legend will have one frame for each layer that appears in the destination list box "Legend 

Frames". By default, all layers that can contribute to the legend will appear in the “Legend 

Frames” list box. The frames will be drawn in the order which they appear in the list, so Up and 

Down buttons are provided for reordering. 

By default, all layers are selected and appear in the Legend Frames list box. If you want to 

choose specific layers for the cartographic legend you are creating use the Remove button to 

move the layer name to the Layers list box. Any layer you move to the Layers list box will not be 

included in the legend. 

� A layer must contain style attributes to appear in the list box; therefore raster layers are 

not included in the list box. 




2. Complete the Create Legend - Step 1 of 3 dialog box selecting the layers that will contribute to 

the legend. Press the dialog box’s Help button for specific dialog box field information. 


• Choose Finish and a legend is created using one frame for each layer listed in the Legend 

Frame List box. 

• Choose Next to display the Create Legend - Step 2 of 3 dialog box. 

4. Specify the legend properties and legend frame defaults. Press the dialog box’s Help button for 

specific dialog box field information. 


• Click Finish to display the legend. 

• Choose Next to display the Create Legend - Step 3 of 3 dialog box. 

You can create legends based on unique map styles, or by unique values in an attribute column. 

Text descriptions can be generated from attribute columns and/or expressions. Additionally, the 

process by which the legend was generated can be saved to the map table metadata as a 

default that will be invoked when the legend is next created. The metadata defaults are used to 

initialize the Create Legend Step - 3 of 3 dialog box. Override metadata defaults and select your 

own settings in the dialog box and save your changes by writing them to the map table metadata 

6. Complete the Create Legend - Step 3 of 3 dialog box attributes for each Legend Frame. Click 

Finish to display the legend. 

• For more specific information, see Creating a Legend Window and Modifying the Legend 

Window Properties in the Help System. 

You can save the Legend window to the map table metadata as a default that will be invoked when 

the legend is next created. The metadata defaults are used to initialize the Create Legend Step 3 

dialog box. To override metadata defaults, select your own settings in the dialog box and save your 

changes by writing them to the map table metadata. 

What are Cartographic Legends? 

Cartographic legends display cartographic data for a map layer. A legend is created for each layer in 

your Map window that you choose to include in the legend. Cartographic legends can be displayed 

in a layout, expanding MapInfo Professional’s presentation capabilities. You can create a legend for 

an individual layer, giving it particular emphasis, or you can place legends for several layers in one 

legend window. You can also customize many elements of the cartographic legend and the legend 

window, including the window title, legend frame borders, and the legend title and subtitle. 

Here is a brief description of how to create a cartographic legend: 

1. On the Map menu, click Create Legend. The Create Legend – Step 1 of 3 dialog box displays. 

2. Select the layers you want to use in the legend and click Next. The Create Legend – Step 2 of 3 


3. Specify the legend properties and legend frame defaults and click Finish or click Next to select 

and set attributes for each legend frame. 

• If you click Finish, your legend displays. 

• If you click Next, the Create Legend – Step 3 of 3 dialog box displays. 




4. Specify the legend frames and give titles to them in the fields provided and click Finish to display 

your legend. For more details on the options available in the cartographic legend feature, see 

Creating a Cartographic Legend on page 317 or see About Cartographic Legends in the Help 

System. 

Customizing a Thematic Legend 

To customize the legend for a thematic map, choose the Legend button in the Create Thematic Map 

- Step 3 of 3 dialog box. It displays the Customize Legend dialog box where you can customize the 

legend's title, subtitle, fonts, or range labels. You can also specify if you want to display a legend for 

this thematic layer. 

To customize a legend: 

1. Choose File > Open. 

2. Choose the map tables with which you want to work. 

3. Choose Map > Create Thematic Map to display the Create Thematic Map - Step 1 of 3 dialog 

box. 

4. Choose one of the thematic style buttons and choose Next. The Create Thematic Map - Step 2 

of 3 dialog box displays. 

5. Choose the table on which you want to base the shading, and choose the fields or expressions 

containing the data values. Different prompts display depending on what type of thematic map 

you selected. 

6. Choose Next. The Create Thematic Map - Step 3 of 3 dialog box displays. 

7. Choose Legend to display the Customize Legend dialog box. 

8. Choose the items you want to customize and make the desired changes. 

• For specific instructions, see Customizing a Thematic Legend and Displaying or Hiding a 

Floating Thematic Legend in the Help System. 

Selecting the Sample Size for a Cartographic Legend Window 

You can control the sample legend sizes that appear in Cartographic Legend windows. This feature 

does not affect Thematic Legend windows. When creating Legends, the Create Legend window - 

Step 2 of 3 dialog box allows you to select a Small or Large Style Sample Size. When adding 

frames to a Legend window, the style sample size is indicated. The default is Large. 




To change the style sample size of an existing Cartographic Legend window: 

1. From the Legend menu, select Refresh to display the Refresh Legend window. 

2. Select Refresh Style Sample Size and select either Small or Large. 

3. Click OK to refresh the legend. 

You can also change the default value for style sample size shown in Create Legend - Step 2 of 3. 

In the Legend Preferences window (Options > Preferences > Legends), select either Small or 

Large Style Sample Size. The initial default is Large. After changing the preferences, you can 

Refresh Styles through the user interface. 




• For more information, see Metadata Support for Cartographic Legends in the Help System. 

What are Thematic Legends? 

Theme legends are created automatically when you create a thematic map. They provide a key of 

the colors, symbols, and styles used in the map. Their display is controlled via the Show/Hide 

Theme Legend Window command in the Options menu. Use the appropriate command in the Map 

menu to modify them (on the Map menu, click Modify Thematic Map), or simply double-click the 

legend to display the Modify Thematic Map dialog box. If a theme legend is part of a cartographic 

legend, and you click it to modify it, the Modify Thematic Map dialog box displays. Click the Legend 

button to modify the legend. For more on theme legends and thematic mapping, see Using 

Thematic Mapping to Analyze Information on page 230. 

Aligning Thematic Legends and Legend Frames 

You can align frames in a thematic legend and align titles within frames in a thematic legend. 

Additionally you can align titles and labels in both cartographic and thematic frames in the same 

way. 


• Selecting Column Alignment Options within a Legend Window 

• Changing the Number of Columns in a Legend Frame 

• Selecting Thematic Legend Swatch Sizes 

• Selecting a Custom Sort Order for Individual Value Thematic Legends 

• Creating Custom Labels for Legends 

Important Notes for Creating and Merging Theme Templates: 

When you are creating and merging theme templates: 

• MapInfo Professional saves the custom label order only when the option to Save Individual 

Value categories is selected in the Save Theme to a Template dialog box. This implies that 

when you create a theme based on a template, MapInfo Professional applies the custom label 

order only when the thematic expression creates the same categories as those in the template. 



Working with Grid Surface Maps 

• When you are merging theme templates, the custom label order from the source template is 

applied to the current theme only when the option to Merge Individual categories is selected in 

the Merge a Template to a Theme dialog box and the template and current theme have the same 

number of categories. 

• For more information, see Creating Custom Labels for Legends in the Help System. 


The thematic maps we have discussed are based on vector layers. MapInfo Professional takes 

thematic mapping to a new level with a method that displays data as continuous color gradations 

across the map. This type of thematic mapping, known as grid mapping or surface theme mapping, 

is produced by an interpolating point data from the source table. MapInfo Professional generates a 

grid file from the data interpolation and displays it as a raster image in a Map window. 

Grid theme maps are appropriate analytical tools in traditional GIS environments and other 

industries where the data points have measured values that reflect those locations. For example, 

use grid shading to illustrate temperature changes, snowfall amounts, or change in elevation. 

The next figure shows the light to dark gradual transition across the United States, which represents 

low to high average annual temperatures. The continuous shading allows you to derive 

measurements at places other than where measurements were taken. 

Figure: Grid Surface Thematic Map 

Grid Image Files 

Grid mapping produces a file type called a grid image. When you create a grid thematic map using 

MapInfo Professional’s grid handler, MapInfo Professional generates a default file name of 

tablename_fieldname with the extension .MIG (for example, USELEV_ELEVFEET.MIG). In the Step 

2 of 3 dialog box MapInfo Professional displays the path and the root file name, where you can 

change it as necessary. 




MapInfo Professional contains one read/write grid handler and a Grid Engine tool kit that shows you 

how to create your own. Once you have written a grid engine, you place this file in your MapInfo 

Professional application directory and set the preference in the Map Window dialog box. Specifically, 

to set the default grid writeable handler, go to the Map window preferences and specify your grid 

handler file. The available handler formats depend on what grid handlers have been installed. 

Changing the default grid handler will change the default file extension of the grid file name. 

Grid files are stored by default in the data directory specified as a preference. Grid files can be 

opened from the File menu, click Open command like other MapInfo Professional supported file 

types. 

When you open a table that has a grid filename associated with it, MapInfo Professional searches 

for the file if it cannot find it immediately. For example, the search capability can simplify opening 

tables if your .tab file refers to an image that resides on a DVD drive, and different letters are used to 

designate the DVD drive on different systems. 

MapInfo Professional uses the following search order: 

1. Search for the file where specified by the FILE tag in the .tab file. 

2. Search for the file in the same directory as the .tab file. 

3. Search for the file in the Table Search path specified in the Directories preferences. 

MapInfo Professional either opens the table as though it found the file in the specified location, or it 

will report an error because the file could not be found in any location. 

Working with Grid Handlers 

In addition to the MapInfo Professional read/write grid handler (*.MIG) we also supply READ-ONLY 

grid handlers to support the direct opening of the following grid file formats: 

• DEM–USGS ASCII(*.DEM) 

• DTED–levels 1, 2, and 3 (*.DT0, *.DT1, *.DT2) 

• GTOPO30 (*.DEM) 

• MapInfo Vertical Mapper (*.GRD, *.GRC) 

You can open these grid file types directly from the Open dialog box. You will see the file extensions 

listed next to the Grid Image file type in the Files of Type drop-down list in the bottom of the dialog 

box. Because the handlers are read-only, they cannot be used to create grid files during the 

thematic mapping process. 

If the relief shading option is enabled (Create Thematic Map Step 3 of 3 > Styles > Grid 

Appearance), a separate file will be created to store the hill shade information. The hillshade file is 

stored in the same location as the grid file and has the same base name as the grid but with the 

extension “.MIH”. If the grid file is read-only, for example, it’s located on a DVD, the .MIH files will be 

created in the same location as the .tab file. The .tab file will contain a new metadata key, for 

example: 

"\Grid\Hillshade File" = "d:\tmp\AntiochSouth.MIH" 


Vertical Mapper Grid Handler 



MapInfo Professional also includes the Vertical Mapper Grid handler to enable users who have not 

purchased the full Vertical Mapper add-on product to open, view, and print Vertical Mapper Grid 

(*.GRD, *.GRC) format files. 

The Vertical Mapper Grid files can also be opened directly in MapInfo Professional. The *.GRD or 

*.GRC extension is listed with the other Grid Image formats in the Files of Type drop-down list. 

Currently, grids using the Vertical Mapper handler cannot be modified in the Modify Thematic Map 

dialog box. They are read-only. They must be created or modified in the Vertical Mapper source 

application, which is available from Pitney Bowes Software Inc.. In addition, you cannot create .GRD 

or .GRC files in MapInfo Professional, however, you can convert *.GRD files to *.MIG files with 

GRIDTOOLS.MBX. 


• Creating Custom Read/Write Grid Handlers 

• IDW Interpolator 

• TIN Interpolator 

• Grid Appearance 

• Inflection Methods 

• Relief Shading 

• Grid Translucency 

• Final Adjustments 

• Zoom Layering 


Buffering and Working 

with Objects 

Two of the most important features in MapInfo Professional are buffers and the 

tools we provide to work with objects. Buffers allow you to create grouping 

areas around objects, lines and regions, which is important for providing a visual 

analysis. You can edit and manipulate objects in a wide variety of ways. The Set 

Target editing model allows you to apply a wide range of editing operations to 

an object or a series of objects. Using MapInfo Professional you can also create 

territories and create objects. This chapter covers these topics and discusses 

the advanced topics of enclosing, checking, and cleaning objects. 


� Buffering Your Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .269 

� Editing Objects using the Set Target Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277 

� Creating Territories by Combining Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .285 

� Creating and Manipulating Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288 

10

Buffering Your Data 

Chapter 10: Buffering and Working with Objects 


If you would like to search for all underground cable wires that are buried within 440 yards of 

Interstate 490 or you would like to contact all families with pre-school age children who live within 

five miles of a proposed school district, buffering is the tool for you. 

Understanding Buffers 

A buffer is a region that surrounds a line object, another region, symbol, or any other object in a Map 

window. For example, you can create a buffer region that surrounds Interstate 90 by 440 yards on 

either side. You can create a buffer region that surrounds the proposed school district by five miles 

on all borders. Both the 440 yards and five miles are their respective regions’ buffer radii. The buffer 

table is then joined to data associated with the original buffered objects. 

� The maximum buffer resolution is 500 segments per circle. This affects the entry you can 

make in the Smoothness field of the Buffer Objects dialog box. 

Creating a Buffer 

To buffer objects: 

1. Select the objects that you want to buffer. Make sure there is an editable layer in the Map 

window. The output buffered objects will be placed in that layer. 

� There are certain table variables that you need to be aware of that will determine the 

aggregation method used in joining the table of buffers to data associated with the 

original objects. See Table Variables for this information. 

2. On the Objects menu, click Buffer. The Buffer Objects dialog box displays. 







3. Select appropriate buffer radius, segments per circle, distance type calculation to use, and buffer 

method as described. 

• Radius — The radius is the width of the buffer you want to create around the object you 

selected. The Value and the From Column radio buttons give you different ways to specify 

that width. 

• Value — Type a value into this field if the radius of the buffer you want to create is a specific 

distance. Examples might include 10 feet, 20 kilometers, 50 chains. 

• From Column — Select this radio button if the buffer you want to create is specified in a 

particular column or is to be calculated by an expression. Then select the column or choose 

Expression from the drop-down list. 

• If you select Expression, the Expression dialog box displays. Specify the expression you 

want MapInfo Professional to use to calculate the buffer radius and click OK to return to the 

Buffer Objects dialog box. 

• Units — Select the units for the buffer from this drop-down list. Options include: inches, links, 

feet, US Survey feet, yards, rods, chains, miles, nautical miles, millimeters, centimeters, 

meters, kilometers. 

• Smoothness — Type the number of segments per circle that determines the resolution of 

the curves in the buffer polygon. You can enter a number between 3 and 500. The default 

value is 12 segments per circle. If making adjustments, a value of 24 yields good results. 

• The more segments you enter, the smoother the curve. The fewer segments, the more 

jagged the curve. More segments produce a smoother curve; fewer segments make a more 

jagged curve. 

� Creating a buffer is time consuming. The higher the smoothness (more segments), 

the longer it takes to create a buffer. 

• One buffer of all objects — Select this option to create one buffer for all of the objects you 

have selected. For example, if you are buffering Pennsylvania, New York and New 

Hampshire, one buffer will be created for all three of these objects. 

• One buffer for each object — Select this option to create one buffer for each object you 

have selected. For example, if you are buffering Pennsylvania, New York and New 

Hampshire, each object will have a separate buffer. 

• Buffer Width Distance using Spherical — Select this option if you want the buffer to take 

into account the curvature of the Earth. Using this method, MapInfo Professional converts the 

data to Latitude/Longitude and then creates a mathematical calculation of the buffer. You 

cannot use this method for non-Earth projections. 

• Buffer Width Distance using Cartesian — Select this option if you want the buffer to be 

calculated as if the map is on a flat plane. Cartesian coordinates are a pair of numbers, (x, y), 

defining the position of a point in a two-dimensional space by its perpendicular projection 

onto two axes which are at right angles to each other. If you are using a Latitude/Longitude 

projection, this option is disabled. 

4. When you have completed your entries and selections in this dialog box, press the Next button. 

The standard Data Aggregation dialog box displays. 

� If the editable layer is the Cosmetic layer, the Data Aggregation dialog box will not display 

because there is no data in the layer to aggregate. The OK button displays in place of the 

Next button. Press OK to begin the buffer operation. 




5. Highlight each of the columns to complete the fields in this dialog box. 

• No Change — Select this option to keep the value for the selected column in the target row 

unchanged. This option only displays when you combine objects into a target object. 

• Blank — Select this option to store blank values in the selected column(s). To store blank 

values in all displayed columns, select the No Data check box. Only choose the Blank option 

to blank out individual columns. 

• Value — Select this option to store the value that displays in the edit field in the new row. 

When you select this option, enter an appropriate value in the field. 

• No Data — Check this check box if you want no data aggregated to any column. 

6. After setting the appropriate data aggregation parameters, click OK. MapInfo Professional 

calculates the buffer according to the parameters you set and creates the new objects in the 

editable layer. The original objects remain unchanged. Once MapInfo Professional has created 

the buffer region, it puts it in the editable layer. 


Table Variables 



If the table containing the selected table and the editable table are either the same table, or contain 

the exact same table structure (same number of columns with each column in both tables having the 

same name and data type), then the Sum and Average radio buttons do not display. The data is 

taken from the current selection, and the results are placed in the editable layer. 

If the table containing the selection objects and the editable table are different, and the table 

structures are different, then the Sum and Average radio buttons are displayed. In this case, the 

data aggregation for the editable destination table column is initially blank, and you need to select 

the column from the input selection table to derive the data from. 

Saving your Buffer as a New Layer 

You can create a buffer and save it as a new table (layer) or as part of another layer in your map. 

See Saving your Voronoi Polygon as a New Layer in the Help System. This process is also similar to 

the Combine Using Column process, except that there is no “Group By” functionality for buffers. 

� The table must be mappable to use this feature. 

To create the buffer as a distinct layer: 

1. To create a selection to buffer, select the object in the map. This step is not required if you want 

to buffer all objects in a particular table. 

2. On the Table menu, click Buffer. The Table Buffer dialog box displays. 


• To buffer the selected object, leave the Selection object selected in the Buffer objects in 

table drop-down list box. 

• To buffer objects from a particular table, select the table in the Buffer objects in table dropdown 

list box. 

4. Select the type of table you want to place the buffer into from the Store results in Table dropdown 

list box. Select one of the following: 

• New table — allows you to save the buffer in a new table 

• — allows you to save the buffer in one of the currently open tables 

After you make this selection, click Next to continue. 

� You cannot save a buffer to the Cosmetic Layer. 





• If you chose the New table option, go to Saving a Buffer to a New Table in the Help System. 

• If you chose , go to Saving a Buffer to an Existing Table in the Help System. 

Buffer Radius 

The buffer radius determines the dimensions of the buffer region. For example, if you want to create 

a region that covers an area one mile on either side of a freeway, set your buffer radius to 1 mile. If 

you choose to use a field from the table or an expression, MapInfo Professional will calculate the 

radius of the buffer based on that value. 

You can set the radius to be a constant value or you can choose a data value from the table to be 

used as the radius. For example, to create buffers around major cities that reflect the size of their 

population, choose the population field as the value. 

You can go even further to calculate the buffer radius using an expression. For instance, you want to 

create buffers around cities showing the population density. Since you do not have a field containing 

population density, you will need to write an expression that can calculate density from population 

and area. This is no different than writing an expression for thematic mapping or query selection. 

Buffering - Setting the Number of Segments per Circle 

The number of segments per circle determines the level of detail in the buffer region. The more 

segments per circle, the higher the level of detail. The default level is 12 segments per circle. 

Buffer Width Distance 

MapInfo Professional’s buffering feature calculates the buffer width to create a buffer that is some 

measured distance from the outline of the object. This distance is calculated using either the 

Spherical or Cartesian method. 

Spherical calculations measure distance according to the curved surface of the Earth. This means 

that the distance from the boundary of the original object to the boundary of the new buffered object 

may vary from node to node. 

Cartesian calculations measure distance on data that has been projected onto a flat, X-Y plane. This 

produces buffers that are exact in width, as long as the data is not in a Latitude/Longitude projection. 

The availability of the Spherical and Cartesian buttons depends on the type of calculation that is 

appropriate to the table’s projection. The Cartesian button will not be available if the table is in a 

Latitude/Longitude projection. Conversely, the Spherical button will not be available if the table is in 

a Non-Earth projection. 

Buffer Methods 

You can create a single buffer to include all selected objects, or create individual buffers for each 

object. There are two ways you can buffer multiple objects at the same time. The first method is to 

create one buffer for all objects. Buffers are produced around each input object, and the resulting 

buffer objects are combined into a single output object. 




The more powerful method is to create one buffer for each object. For example, you have a layer of 

satellite offices. You would like to create a five-mile radius buffer around every satellite office 

symbol. You select all office symbols (with either the Select All command or Select tool), on the 

Objects menu, click Buffer, and select the option to create one buffer for each object. MapInfo 

Professional creates five mile buffer polygons around each point. With this method, MapInfo 

Professional considers the resulting buffers as individual region objects and does not combine them 

into one. Once you create a buffer region, you can search for objects within it, as with any other 

boundary. 

About Buffer Calculations 

Buffer functionality uses a Width setting to create a Buffer that is some measured distance from the 

outline of the object. Using Latitude/Longitude data, the perfect buffer width, as defined in native 

Latitude/Longitude decimal degrees, may change on different portions of an object. This is because 

the width is provided in some flat measurement unit, (for example, miles, meters), and the decimal 

degree to measurement transformation will vary depending on the location on the earth. For 

example, a mile spans a larger number of latitude degrees as you move toward the poles of the 

earth and away from the equator. 

MapInfo Professional calculates a native decimal degree width (converting from the input 

measurement unit) for one location in the object, typically the center of the bounding box. Thus, the 

measured On Earth (Spherical) distance from the boundary of the original input object to the 

boundary of the new buffered object may vary slightly from node to node. On small objects the 

distance may be negligible. On objects that span a large distance, such as the United States, the 

distance variation may be measurable. 

In MapInfo Professional, you can produce Cartesian calculated buffers. Using this option, the data is 

considered to be in a flat-projected coordinate system, and the measured buffer widths are 

calculated using Cartesian distances. This produces exact buffers (as measured by the Cartesian 

Distance functions) as long as the data in not in a Latitude/Longitude projection. 

Types of Buffers 

There are two basic types of buffers that we support in MapInfo Professional. 

• Concentric ring buffers allow you to create circles around map object(s) or point(s) and 

compute aggregated values for underlying data that occur within each ring. You would use 

concentric ring buffers to determine the number of customers within a certain radius of a store or 

other location. 

• Convex hull buffers create a region object that represents a polygon based on the nodes from 

the input object. You can think of the convex hull polygon as an operator which places a rubber 

band around all of the points. It will consist of the minimum number of points so that all points lie 

on or inside the polygon. With convex hull buffers, no inside angle is greater than 180 degrees. 

For specific instructions, see Specifying Buffer Calculations in the Help System. 


Concentric Ring Buffers 



In the Creating a Buffer on page 269, you learned how to create a buffer around one or more 

objects. Concentric ring buffers allow you to create multiple buffers of different width (radii) around 

an object or a set of selected objects. The Concentric Ring Buffer tool can assist you in creating this 

type of buffer. 

• For specific access instructions, see Concentric Ring Buffer Tool in the Help System. 

To create concentric ring buffers: 

1. In the Map window, select the object(s) you want to place buffers around. 

2. On the Tools menu, point to Concentric Ring Buffers and click Create Concentric Ring 

Buffers. The Concentric Ring Buffers dialog box displays. 

3. To add a ring, specify the radius in the Radius field and click Add Ring. Continue this until you 

have added all of the rings you want from the smallest to largest. 

4. Select the units of each radius in the Units drop-down list. 

5. To set the smoothness of the ring buffer, type a number between 3 and 500 in the Smoothness 

field. The larger the number, the smoother and less jagged the curves of the ring. 

6. Type the table name and select the path in which you want to store this buffer information. 

MapInfo Professional stores the concentric ring buffer information into this table including the 

columns containing the ring number, radius value, radius units, area, and area units for each 

ring. 

7. When you have finished the buffer settings, click OK. 

Use the Modify Ring and Delete Ring buttons to change the ring settings, or click Clear All to start all 

over and create new concentric rings. To change the style of a buffer ring, select it in the Buffer Radii 

list, and use the style buttons to change the fill pattern and line style for the buffer. You can also 

collect data within each buffer ring using the Calculate Ring Statistics button. 


Convex Hull Buffers 


Editing Objects using the Set Target Model 

The Convex Hull command provides another means of creating a polygon around a selected object 

or objects. Convex Hull is similar to creating a buffer in several ways. Like a buffer, the Convex Hull 

command always creates an object from the input objects, and it will place the result objects into the 

editable layer. In addition, you have a choice to create one convex hull object from all of the input 

objects, or to create one convex hull object for each input object. 

The resulting region object(s) are based on the nodes from the input object. The Convex Hull 

operation can be thought of as an operator that places a rubber band around all of the points. It 

consists of a minimal set of points such that all other points lie on or inside the polygon. Since the 

polygon is convex, no interior angles are greater than 180 degrees. No attribute data is aggregated 

in this operation. To use Convex Hull, a Map window must be active, it must have an editable layer, 

and objects in the editable layer must be selected. 

To create convex hull objects: 

1. On the Objects menu, click Convex Hull. The Create Convex Hull dialog box displays. 

2. Select the type of convex hull objects you want to create. You have two options: 

• One output object for all input objects button is the default setting. It creates one convex 

hull object around all of the selected objects. 

• One output object for each input object button creates a convex hull object around each 

selected object. 

3. Click OK. Your map redisplays. The convex hull object(s) is displayed over the input objects. If 

you want to save this data, save the editable table. The convex hull object is selected when it 

displays. 

4. To change the fill of the convex hull object, do one of the following: 

• Double-click it to display the Region Object dialog box. Click the Style icon at the bottom of 

the dialog box to display the Region Style dialog box. Make any changes you like and click 

OK. 

• Select the convex hull object, if it is not already, and on the Options menu, click Region 

Style. The Region Style dialog box displays. Make the changes you want and click OK. 


With MapInfo Professional’s advanced set target editing functionality, you can combine, split, erase 

map objects, and overlay nodes using a “Set Target – Apply Action” editing model. This model 

allows you to use objects from the same table or another table to create new objects. Sophisticated 

data aggregation methods allow you to calculate new data values that match the new objects. 




The Set Target editing model in MapInfo Professional allows you to set a map object as the target 

for editing, then create a modifying object that will act as the cookie cutter that overlays the target 

and performs the editing action on the target. Set Target is located under the Objects menu. 

Figure: Buffered retail locations showing market penetration 

The Set Target model for editing map objects can be broadly described as a three-step process: 

1. Set the object you want to edit as the target. 

2. Choose and select another object or objects to act as the modifying object for the editing 

operation. You can also create a new object. 

3. Perform the edit operation (combine, split, erase, erase outside, or overlay nodes). 

A new object (or objects) is created in place of the target object. 

The following table describes valid cutter/target objects for supported object processing operations: 

Object Type Overlay Nodes 

Split, Erase, Erase 

Outside Combine 

Cutter Target Cutter Target Target 

Closed X X X X X X 

Linear X X X X X 

Text 

Points X X X 

Other 

non-target 


Object Type Overlay Nodes 



You are not limited to working with map objects in the same layer. While the target objects must be 

in the Editable layer, you can choose the modifying objects from another layer. 

The set target process is essentially the same whether you want to combine objects or create new 

objects by splitting objects or erasing portions of objects. Each operation is discussed individually in 

this chapter. 

In addition to creating new map objects, the Set Target model allows you to control how the data 

associated with the target object will be transferred to the new object or objects. The next section 

discusses a number of data aggregation and disaggregation methods that give you tremendous 

flexibility with editing map objects. 

• For specific instructions, see Setting a Map Object as a Target in the Help System. 

Understanding Object Size 

Many customers use the contouring process to create signal coverage maps, which requires large 

object sizes to create highly detailed coverage areas. To accommodate this need, we have 

increased the limit on number of nodes and the number of polygons or polylines that can be stored 

in objects. 

Theoretically, the size of an object is only limited by the amount of memory in the system, but for 

practical reasons, a limit is imposed to work within limits of file size and most system memory limits. 

Currently, the object size limit is 1,073,741,823 bytes in memory. This limit is imposed so that an 

object of this size can be saved into a MAP file. All MapInfo Professional files have a theoretical limit 

of 2GB, but due to header size and other required Map file contents, the actual size limit has to be 

somewhat less. 

The node limit is 134,217,724 nodes in any object. This is the actual number of nodes that can fit 

into this 2GB memory size limit. It will be difficult to reach this node limit because memory allocation 

may prohibit it. It may not be possible to create a Map this size on a computer being used to 

accommodate an object this size; the program may throw an error when you try it. 

Keep these notes in mind: 

Split, Erase, Erase 

Outside Combine 

Cutter Target Cutter Target Target 

Multipoints X X X 

Collections X X X 

Other 

non-target 

• For regions, the theoretical maximum number of polygons in a multi-polygon region or 

collection is 20,648,881 polygons that can fit into the size limit for all objects given above. 

• For polyline objects, the theoretical maximum number of segments in a multi-segment 

polyline is 24,403,223 that can fit into the size limit for all objects given above. 

• For multipoint objects, the theoretical maximum number of nodes is 134,217,724 that can fit 

into the size limit for all objects given above. 


Aggregating and Disaggregating Data 



If you have data attached to map objects that will be edited, you can proportion the data for each 

field to match the new object(s). This is called data aggregation or disaggregation, depending on 

whether you are combining or splitting objects. MapInfo Professional calculates new data values for 

the object depending on how you specify the aggregation or disaggregation. 

When combining objects, you can choose from several methods of data aggregation, including: 

• Sum – adds the field values from the original objects to create a total for the field in the new 

object. 

• Average – averages the field values from the original objects. 

• Weighted average – gives more weight to one value over another when averaging. You can 

choose a numeric field in your table as the weighting factor or choose area (where the 

weighted average is based on the relative geographic area of the regions to be combined). 

• Value – stores a specific value in the field of the new object. 

• No Change – maintains the value of the target object in the new object. 

When splitting or erasing portions of a map object, you can choose from: 

• Blank – removes the original value of the target object. 

• Value – maintains the original value of the target object. 

• Area proportion – removes a portion of the original value based on the size of the new 

object. 

With any of the editing operations under Set Target, you can elect not to bring over any data at all by 

choosing the No Data check box. You might do this, for instance, if you are only editing map objects 

for presentation purposes and do not need any data associated with the objects. 

The Data Aggregation (or Disaggregation) dialog box displays after you have set the target, chosen 

the modifying object, and chosen an editing operation. In these dialog boxes, you must specify how 

you want the data calculated for each field. Once you are satisfied with the aggregation method, you 

can carry out the editing operation. 

Clipping a Region of a Map 

You can use Map > Set Clip Region to isolate a region of a map for display and/or printing. The 

clipped region may be a pre-defined map region, such as a state, or you can use a drawing tool to 

define a region. Use the Select tool to select a pre-defined region or a region that you defined. 

Thematic maps and seamless layers, labels, and points displayed on the map will be included in the 

clipped region. 

• For specific instructions, see Clipping a Region of a Map and Setting Clip Region Options on the 

Fly in the Help System. 

To toggle between the map and the clipped region, you may find it useful to use the Clip Region On 

/Off command. 

� To clip a raster image, use an object created in the cosmetic layer, or an object from an 

existing vector layer. 




• For specific instructions, see Saving a Clipped Region of a Map in the Help System. 

Overview of Combining Map Objects 

When you choose Combine, MapInfo Professional performs two operations: 

1. MapInfo Professional geographically combines the selected objects. The new object represents 

the geographic union of the original objects. Therefore, if you select two adjacent region objects 

and choose Combine, MapInfo Professional combines the regions into a single object, and the 

border between the regions disappears. 

2. MapInfo Professional performs data aggregation. Data aggregation is a process where MapInfo 

Professional calculates what the column values for the new object should be, based on sums or 

averages of the values of the original objects. 

Perhaps you have a table of sales territories, and the table contains demographic information about 

the number of households per territory. Using the Combine command, you can combine two of the 

sales territories into one, large territory. In the same operation, MapInfo Professional also can 

calculate the number of households in the new territory by adding the values from each of the 

original territories. 

Combining Objects with Set Target 

The Combine operation can work in conjunction with the target feature of MapInfo Professional’s 

Edit menu. Before you choose Combine, you can select one map object, and designate that object 

as the editing target. You can then select additional map objects and choose Combine to combine 

the selected objects with the target. If you set a target before you choose Combine, the Combine 

operation is more flexible, allowing you to combine objects from different tables. 

You should assign a target object if one of the objects you are combining is more important than any 

of the other objects. For example, if you want to add small, unnamed islands to an existing 

"mainland" region, you should make the mainland region the target object. If you designate the 

mainland region as the target, MapInfo Professional is able to retain the mainland region's name 

after the objects are combined. 

Using Combine with Set Target allows the mainland region to retain its name after the objects are 

combined. You can only set one object as the target at a time when using Combine with Set Target. 

The modifying object can consist of more than one object. 

Keep in mind that the Objects Combine command works with selected map objects. To apply the 

combine operation to an entire table, use Select All in the Query menu. To combine into groups 

rather than objects, or output to a separate table, use Combine Objects Using Column in the Table 

menu. 

To combine map objects using Set Target: 

1. Select one object in an editable layer to be the target object. 

2. On the Objects menu, click Set Target. The object displays in a different style to indicate that it 

is the target object. 

3. Select (or create and select) one or more map objects from any layer in the Map window. This is 

the modifying object. 




4. On the Objects menu, click Combine. The Data Aggregation dialog box displays. 

5. Choose the appropriate aggregation method (or No Data) for each field in the Destination list. 

See the definitions for these methods in Aggregating and Disaggregating Data on page 280. 

� To select more than one field in the Data Aggregation dialog box at a time, use these 

keystrokes: 

• Shift-click to apply the same method to consecutive fields 

• Ctrl-click for non-consecutive fields. 

When you have chosen the aggregation methods for each field, click OK. 

6. Select one or more columns by clicking in the list at the top of the Data Aggregation dialog box. 

7. Choose a data aggregation method: Blank, No Change, Value, Sum, Average, or Weighted 

Average. (Depending on whether you specified an editing target, some of these aggregation 

methods may not be available.) MapInfo Professional updates the column list in the upper half of 

the dialog box to show the chosen method. 

• For example, if you choose Average, you are telling MapInfo Professional to calculate the 

average of the column values of all the selected objects. This average is stored in the column 

of the new row. 

• Aggregation methods are described below. 

8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 for all columns in your table and click OK. 

• To simplify this process, select multiple columns at one time by Shift-clicking and/or Ctrlclicking 

in the list of columns. If you select multiple columns, and then choose an aggregation 

method, MapInfo Professional applies that method to all selected columns. 




If your table contains a large number of columns, it can be time-consuming to specify aggregation 

methods for all columns. However, MapInfo Professional remembers your aggregation methods for 

the remainder of your session; thus, the next time you choose Combine, you do not need to 

respecify all aggregation options. 

MapInfo Professional computes the new object and displays it as a single object. Use the Info tool to 

view the aggregated data (if any) associated with the object. 

• For more information, see Combining Points, Linear, and Closed Objects into a Single Object 

and Specifying Collection Object Attributes in the Help System. 

Default Data Aggregation Methods 

When the Data Aggregation dialog box first appears, MapInfo Professional automatically assigns a 

default aggregation method to every column in the table. For numeric columns (Integer, Small 

Integer, Float, or Decimal), MapInfo Professional assigns Sum as the default aggregation method. 

For all other types of columns, MapInfo Professional assigns Value as the default method. 

You could simply choose OK, without changing any of the default aggregation methods. However, 

there is no guarantee that the default aggregation methods will produce meaningful results. By 

default, MapInfo Professional uses the Sum method for all numeric columns; however, depending 

on your data, it may not make sense to total all of your columns. 

For example, perhaps your table contains demographic information, such as median income 

statistics. If two adjacent regions have different median income values ($30,000 and $35,000), and 

you combine the two regions, it does not make sense to total the two values; instead, you should 

choose Average or Weighted Average as the aggregation method. 

Clearing a Target 

If you do not want to edit an object after it has been set as the target, use Clear Target. The object 

will no longer be highlighted or marked for editing. An object will also be cleared as a target 

automatically if it has been deleted or modified by Combine, Erase, Erase Outside, Split, Overlay 

Nodes, or if you have chosen a new target. 

To clear a target: 

• Choose Objects > Clear Target. 

Combining Objects with Different Table Structures 

If the tables you are combining have the same table structure, the process we have discussed in 

Combining Objects with Set Target on page 281 works perfectly. When you are working with two 

tables with different table structures, the Data Disaggregation options are slightly different. When the 

input table has a different table structure from the output table, the Data Aggregation dialog box 

displays a Column Name field to accommodate the table structure. 


1 Column Name field 



The Area Proportion radio button is active if the selected field is numeric. Also the Value entry field 

is enabled when you select the Value radio button and the drop-down list contains “none”. 

Splitting Objects 

Splitting Objects allows you to divide the target object into smaller objects, using another object as a 

cutter. You can also combine objects into territories using redistricting. For more about the 

redistricting process, see Redistricting — Grouping Map Objects into Districts in the MapInfo 

Professional Help System. For example, you might use Split to separate a large territory into smaller 

units. 

You can split either closed objects (regions, ellipses, rectangles, or rounded rectangles) or open 

objects (polylines, lines and arcs) using the Split command. You cannot use Split on points or text 

objects or to cut objects that are not in editable layers. 

• For specific instructions, see Splitting Objects in the Help System. 

Proportioning Associated Data after Using Split 

After using Objects > Split, you may want to proportion (disaggregate) the associated data. Data 

disaggregation splits the data associated with a map object into smaller parts to match the new map 

objects. For instance, you may want to split a state into regions and have the data previously 

associated with the entire state proportioned for each new region. When you initiate the Split 

command, a Data Disaggregation dialog box appears that allows you to specify how the data will be 

proportioned. 

Splitting Map Objects Using a Polyline 

You can split multipoints and collections, as well as closed objects (regions, ellipses, rectangles, and 

rounded rectangles), and linear objects (polylines, lines and arcs) using the Polyline Split command. 

As mentioned previously, splitting objects requires that the cutter be a closed object. With Split 

Using Polyline, the polyline cutter will first be transformed into a region suitable for the cutter 

operation. The region created will be displayed for acceptance. The polyline(s) used as the cutter 


1


Creating Territories by Combining Objects 

must be contiguous and non-branching. In general, if the cutter polylines were to be combined, the 

result would be a one single section polyline. If the cutters are not polylines, and are not contiguous 

and non-branching, then an error will occur, and the operation will be cancelled. 

� You cannot use Polyline Split on text objects or to cut objects that are not in editable layers. 

• For specific instructions, see Splitting MapObjects Using a Polyline in the Help System. 


Creating territories is one of the most common tasks performed with MapInfo Professional. Most 

people create territories by combining two or more smaller regions to create a larger one. Police 

departments combine postal code boundaries to create precinct boundaries. Sales managers 

combine county boundaries or state boundaries to create sales territories. Political analysts combine 

census tract boundaries to create voting districts. 

Remember, when you are combining regions, you are also combining the data associated with the 

regions. If you combine regions without somehow aggregating the data associated with the regions, 

that data will be lost. For some applications, you might not want to save your data. For example, you 

are merging census tract boundaries to create school districts. The census tract data is of no interest 

to you; you merely want the boundaries. There is no reason to aggregate the data, but you would 

want to apportion the demographic data. For most tasks, you’ll want to save the data associated with 

the regions. 

MapInfo Professional gives you three methods for combining regions. 

1. The first method, Combine, works with objects that are selected. 

2. The second method, Combine Objects Using Column, is used to combine objects into groups 

based on a specified column. 

3. The third method, Redistricting, is covered in Redistricting — Grouping Map Objects into 

Districts. 

Most frequently, the Combine Regions options are your easiest and quickest options for combining 

regions and creating territories. 

Combining Selected Objects 

When you choose to combine objects, MapInfo Professional performs two operations: 

• MapInfo Professional geographically combines the selected objects. The new object 

represents the geographical union of the original objects and the border between the regions 

disappears. 

• MapInfo Professional performs data aggregation. As described earlier in this chapter, data 

aggregation is a process where MapInfo Professional calculates what the column values for 

the new object should be, based on sums or averages of the original objects. 




Your setup of the Layer Control window depends on whether you want to copy the result object to 

another layer (and, thus, save the original objects) or combine the objects in the original layer (and, 

thus, lose the original objects). 

If you want to copy the result object, make the region’s layer Selectable and another layer Editable. 

Specify a target object, then select the objects using any selection method and on the Objects 

menu, click Combine. This will display the Data Aggregation dialog box where you tell MapInfo 

Professional how to combine the data. Fill in this dialog box and click OK to combine the objects to 

combine the objects’ data. This method was discussed earlier in this chapter. 

If you want to combine objects in the original layer, make sure that the layer is editable, select the 

objects in the layer, and on the Objects menu, click Combine. Do not set a target. The Data 

Aggregation dialog box displays. After the operation is complete, a new object will be added to the 

layer, and the original objects will be deleted. 

Combining Objects Using Column 

Combine Objects Using Column allows you to modify geographic data to create new map objects 

that contain data about the group. This feature is similar to redistricting in that it groups objects 

together, but goes beyond redistricting to combine a copy of the relevant objects while leaving the 

original objects untouched. 

To access Combine Objects Using Column: 

1. On the Table menu, click Combine Objects Using Column. 

For example, you have a layer of states. You want to combine the state boundaries to create 

sales territories. The data record associated with each state looks like this: 

SALES_REP STATE CUSTOMERS AVG_SALES 

Benita West Virginia 1782 24231.4 

Benita Ohio 121 33265.0 

• SALES_REP: Sales representative assigned to that state 

• CUSTOMERS: Number of customers per state 

• AVG_SALES: Average spent per customer 

You would like to aggregate the data in the following manner: 

• SALES_REP: Combine all records that list Benita as the sales representative 

• CUSTOMERS Sum up the number of customers in the sales territory 

• AVG_SALES: Average the amount spent per customer in the sales territory 

When performing a Combine Objects Using Column operation, you must specify which column 

contains the grouping information. In the preceding example, the grouping information is located 

in the SALES_REP column. We want to combine all of Benita’s individual territories into one 

large territory. 

1. Choose the appropriate column from the Group Objects by Column popup. In our example, you 

would choose the SALES_REP column from the Group Objects By Column popup. MapInfo 




Professional combines all records that have common data in the column. In other words, 

MapInfo Professional combines all records that have the same sales representative. 

2. Specify the table and the grouping column. 

• If you chose from the Store results in table drop-down list to create a new table for 

the combined objects, a series of dialog boxes prompt you to create the new table. 

• If you specified an existing table, you need to specify how to combine the data. To aggregate 

your data, click Next to display the Data Aggregation dialog box. 

3. Once you have completed both dialog boxes, press OK. MapInfo Professional combines the 

records based on the column specified in the Group Objects By Column list. MapInfo 

Professional also aggregates the data and combines any objects associated with the records. 

• For specific instructions, see Combining Object Using Column in the Help System. 

Creating a Voronoi Polygon 

The Voronoi polygon is a partition of space into cells. Voronoi takes points and produces regions 

(cells) as output where each cell contains exactly one point. Each cell is an area in which the 

contained points are closer to the enclosed site than to any others. Use Voronoi to generate these 

polygons from a designated set of points. It is useful for dividing areas of responsibilities for field 

offices or possibly postal zones. It ultimately gives you the areas that are closest to your point of 

interest. You can create a Voronoi polygon within the same layer, or select points from one layer and 

place the Voronoi polygon in another layer. 

• For specific instructions and additional related topics, see Creating a Voronoi Polygon in the 

Help System. 



Creating and Manipulating Objects 

Grouping Objects using Multipoint and Collection Object Types 

The Multipoint and Collection object types allow you to group multiple objects into a single object. 

One way to create multipoints and collections is by using the Combine command (on the Objects 

menu, click Combine). These object types aid in the translation and live access of other GIS data 

formats, such as ArcView Shape Files, and are more compatible with GIS standards. This is 

particularly useful for sharing maps with others using different software. 

A Multipoint object consists of a number of points that have been grouped into a single object. The 

Multipoint object displays in a Browser window as a single record, and all the points within the object 

have the same symbol. One method you can use to create a multipoint object is to select a group of 

point objects and combine them. 

A Collection object consists of multipoint objects, zero or one polyline objects, and zero or one 

region objects that have been grouped into a single object. 

MapInfo Professional automatically converts homogeneous Collection objects to a more specific 

type, for example, a Collection object that contains only polylines is automatically converted to a 

multi-polyline object. 

• For specific instructions and additional related topics, see Grouping Objects using Multipoint and 

Collection Object Types in the Help System. 

Creating and Manipulating Objects 

The operations in this section do not make use of a target object to perform analysis or data 

aggregation. These tasks use selections to create new objects so that you can perform further 

mapping operations on those objects. The results of the operation are placed in the editable layer. 

The original objects remain unchanged. 

See the Help System for related topics including: 

• Enclosing Objects 

• Checking Regions 

• Cleaning Objects 

• Snapping Nodes and Thinning Objects 

• Disaggregating Objects 

• Erasing Objects 

• Adding Nodes to an Object 

• Displaying and Selecting an Object's Nodes 

• Moving an Object's Nodes 

• Copying and Pasting an Object's Nodes 

• Deleting an Object’s Nodes 

• Checking Regions/Tables for Incorrect Data 


Stylizing Your Map for 

Presentations and 

Publishing 

Most of us do not get to make maps solely for our own use. We use the maps 

we create in MapInfo Professional to create presentations, to publish them on 

the web, or to include as part of another document. This chapter will help you 

create presentation quality maps and prepare you for printing and exporting 

your work. 


� Changing a Map’s Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .290 

� Labeling Your Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .294 

� Adding an Adornment to the Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .305 

� Working with Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .306 

� Creating a Cartographic Legend. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .317 

� Printing and Exporting Your Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .318 

11

Changing a Map’s Style 

Chapter 11: Stylizing Your Map for Presentations and Publishing 


Changing the look of the map is an important part of making it more effective. In this section, we 

review how to change the way your map looks one piece at a time. For a more comprehensive 

change in your map’s appearance, see Create Thematic Maps in the Help System. 

Changing a Region’s Style 

To change the style of a region: 


• To change the style of one region, click the region and on the Options menu, click Region 

Style from the main menu. 

• To change the style of all regions in the same layer, choose Map > Layer Control and click 

the layer’s Style Override swatch. 

Using either method the Region Style dialog box displays. 

This dialog box includes a Preview button when launched from the Layer Control. 

2. Make the region changes you want to see in your map window in this dialog box and click OK to 

save them. 

• Fill — These are the fill options you have in the Region Style dialog box. 

• Pattern — Choose a palette for patterns. If you do not want to use a pattern, choose the 

letter N, for none; the foreground and background color are disabled. If you choose the solid 

black pattern, the background color is disabled. 

• Color — Choose a color for the object(s)’ foreground. The Sample box displays the pattern 

using the foreground color you chose. The foreground color is applied to the part of the 

pattern that displays as black. Therefore, to make the object a solid color, choose the solid 

black pattern in the Fill Pattern palette and a color from the Foreground Color palette. The 

color you chose displays in the Sample box as a solid-colored region. 

• Background Color — Select the check box to display a background color; clear for a 

“transparent” background. Choose a color for the object’s background. The background color 




is applied to the part of the pattern that displays as white. Background color is grayed if you 

chose the solid pattern. 

• Border — These are the border options you have in the Region Style dialog box. 

• Style — Choose the border line style. 

• Color — Choose the border line color. 

• Width — Choose the border line width. In the Pixels field, enter a number from 1-7, each 

number represents a line width in pixels. In the Points field, select or enter a point size. 

• Sample — Displays the sample of the pattern and color selections you have made. 

• For more information, see Creating Custom Colors in the Help System. 

Changing a Line’s Style 

To change the style of a line: 

1. Do one of the following to display the Line Style dialog box: 

• To change the style of one line, click the line and on the Options menu, click Line Style from 

the Main menu. 

• To change the style of all lines in the same layer, choose Map > Layer Control and click the 

layer’s Style Override swatch. 


2. Make the line style changes you want to see in your map window in this dialog box and click OK 

to save them. 

• Style — Select the new line style from the drop-down list. 

• Color — Choose a color for the line from this drop-down list. The Sample box displays the 

pattern using the color and line style you select. 

• Width (in Pixels and Points) — Choose the line width from one of these drop-down lists. In 

the Pixels field, select a width of the line in pixels. In the Points field, select a point size from 

the drop-down list, or enter a point size. 

• Interleaved — If you select a line style that uses multiple passes to create it, MapInfo 

Professional enables the Interleaved check box. Keep in mind these notes: 

The Interleaved option is not enabled for solid lines 

The Interleaved option is not activated for borders 

The Interleaved option is not appropriate for all multiple pass lines 


Changing a Symbol’s Style 

To change the style of a symbol: 




• To change the style of one symbol, click the symbol and on the Options menu, click Symbol 


• To change the style of all symbols in the same layer, choose Map > Layer Control and click 

the layer’s Style Override swatch. 

Using either method the Symbol Style dialog box displays. 





2. Complete your selections and entries in this dialog box and click OK. 

• Font — Choose a font from the drop-down list. In addition to the symbol sets, the list displays 

any fonts installed on Windows. The Custom Symbols category lists those bitmaps you have 

created and saved to the CUSTSYMB directory. 

• Size — Choose a size or type a different point size. The maximum size is 240 points. 

• Symbol — Choose a symbol type from the symbol palette. 

• Color — Choose a color from this list for the symbol. 

• Reload — Click this button when you have added your own custom symbols to update the 

list. If you restarted MapInfo Professional since adding the new custom symbols you do not 

need to select the Reload button. 

• Full View — Click this button to display large images in a separate window. 

• Rotation Angle — Specify number of degrees the symbol should be rotated; 0-360. 

• Background — In this box, you can specify a background. Select one of these: 

None: Click this option to display no background. 

Halo: Click this option to display the symbol with a white border outline. 

Border: Click this option to display the symbol with a black border outline. 

• Effects — In this box, you can specify special effects for the symbol. Not all of these options 

display all the time. You can select one or more of these: 

Bold: Click this check box to draw the symbol in boldface. 

Drop Shadow: Click this check box to draw a drop shadow under the symbol. 

Show Background: Click this check box to display the custom bitmap symbol with the 

background with which it was created. 

Apply Color: Click this check box to replace all non-white bitmap pixels with the color you 

select from the Color palette. 

Display at Actual Size: Click this check box to display the image at the actual size. 

• Sample — When you select a symbol style, it displays in this box to show you a sample of 

the symbol using the designated selections. 

Changing the Text Style 

To change the style of text: 


• To change the style of one text entry, click the text and on the Options menu, click Text 


• To change the style of all text entries in the same layer, choose Map > Layer Control and 

double-click the layer. In the Layer Properties dialog box, click the Style button on the Label 

Display tab. 

Using either method the Text Style dialog box displays. 



Labeling Your Map 

2. Make your selections and entries in this dialog box and click OK. 

• Font — Choose a font from the Font drop-down list. 

• Size — Choose a point size from the Point Size drop-down list. 

• Text Color — Display the color palette; choose a text color. 

• Background — In this box, you can specify background options for the selected text. You 

can select only one of these options: 

None — Set no specific background for the selected text. 

Halo — Display the text outlined in a designated color. 

Box — Surround the text with a box in a designated color. 

Color — Display the color palette; select a color to halo or box the text. 

• Effects — In this box, you can specify special effects for the selected text. Not all of these 

options display all the time. You can select one or more of these: 

Bold — Select this check box to display text in boldface. 

Italic — Select this check box to display text in italic. 

Underline — Select this check box to display text underlined. 

All Caps — Select this check box to display text in all upper case letters. 

Shadow — Select this check box to display a grey “drop” shadow under the text. 

Expanded — Select this check box to insert double spaces between each letter in the text. 

• Sample — The results of the options you choose show in this box. 

Click Preview to display your settings on the map, and then click OK to apply them. 


The labeling features in MapInfo Professional make it easier for you to display, edit, and save labels. 

You can specify whether to display labels automatically when you display the map or display the 

map without labels. You can edit automatic labels, use the customizing options to make your labels 

unique, and create individual labels with the Label tool. Haloing and positioning options enable you 

to get the precise look you want for your labels. 


Designing Your Labels 



The design of the label feature in MapInfo Professional is important for understanding how to create 

and manipulate labels on your map. Most important among the design elements are the following: 

• Labels are not drawn to the Cosmetic layer. 

• Labels are attributes of geographic objects in the map layer. The text is based on data 

associated with that object. 

• Labels are always selectable and editable. 

• Labels are saved to a workspace. 

Labels are attributes of geographic objects in the map layer. They are not drawn to the Cosmetic 

layer and they are not Cosmetic objects. Their drawn location is based on the location of the 

geographic object’s centroid and additional information such as anchor point and offset controlled in 

the Label Options dialog box. 

As attributes, labels are dynamically connected to their map objects. If the layer is closed or is made 

invisible, the labels no longer display. If the data or geographic information changes, the labels 

change. If you create an expression for your labels and change the expression, the current labels 

are dynamically replaced with new ones. 

Labels are always selectable and editable, so you do not have to make the map layer editable or 

selectable to work with them. And, since labels are not Cosmetic objects, you do not have to 

remember to make the Cosmetic layer selectable or editable to label your map. They are already 

part of the map layer. 

Saving labels is easy. Because labels are attributes of the map object, you do not have to remember 

to save them to a separate table. Any label edits you have pending, or changes you have made to 

the Label Options settings, are easily saved to a workspace. 

You can label your map automatically through Layer Control’s Layer Properties dialog box. All global 

settings for labels are controlled in the Label Options dialog box. 

Choosing the Label Content 

When you label your map automatically, or interactively using the Label tool, the content of the 

labels is determined by the data associated with the geographic object. You can obtain the labels 

from the columns in your table, or the derived result of an expression using the column information. 

If the column information or an expression does not suit your needs, you can edit the label content or 

type in new text. See Editing Labels on page 303 for more information. 

Text you create yourself using the Text tool is a text object and behaves like other objects you draw 

on your map such as squares and circles. Although labels are no longer text objects, text objects are 

still useful for additional map annotation such as titles. For information on text objects, see Working 

with Text on the Map on page 169. 

The Autolabeler tool, available from the Tool Manager (on the Tools menu, click Tool Manager), 

creates labels as text objects in the Cosmetic Layer. This application may be useful if you need to 

create labels that can be transferred to a permanent table. In addition, you can create text objects 

and convert labels into text objects using another tool from the Tool Manager set, the Labeler tool, 

which is explained later in this chapter. 


Labeling with a Column 



The content of labels is controlled in the Label with drop-down list in the Label Options dialog box. 

You can label an object with any column from its associated table. For example, you can label the 

STATES table with the state name, abbreviation, 1990 population, or any other field in the STATES 

table. Simply choose a column from the list, and the objects in that layer will be labeled with the 

information contained in that column. 

� You can only set a Label with expression on a single layer. After selecting multiple layers in 

the Layer list, the Label with list disables and shows a message that says Mixed. 

Labeling with Expressions 

You can also label objects with an expression. Select Expression from the drop-down list in the 

Label Options dialog box. Create the expression in the Expression dialog box. You can type the 

expression directly or use the drop-down lists to create it. For example, you want to label the 

countries of Africa with their name and population density on two lines. Your table contains the 

country names and population figures for each country. To figure the population density, divide 

population by each country’s area. You can let MapInfo Professional calculate the area of each 

country using the Area function in the Expression dialog box. To create the expression, in Layer 

Control, double-click the Africa layer and click the Label Display tab. Select Expression from the 

Label with drop-down list. The Expression dialog box displays. Using the drop-down lists, create the 

following expression: 

Country + Chr$(13) + POPULATION / Area(Object, “sq mi”) 

The Chr$(13) function adds a carriage return to the first line. Using the Label tool, click a country. 

MapInfo Professional labels it with the result of the expression. 

• For instructions and examples of this topic, see Creating Labels using Expressions in the Help 

System. 

Saving Labels to a Workspace 

Both automatic and interactive labels are saved as part of a workspace. 

To save your objects: 

1. Choose File > Save Workspace. The Save Workspace dialog box displays. The Save 

Workspace dialog box allows you to save information about the tables and windows used in your 

current session. 

2. Select the drive, folder, and file where you want the workspace saved. 

3. Type a name for your workspace. 

4. Click Save. 


Packing a Table with Customized Labels 



Note that packing a table that contains customized labels can corrupt the labels. For example, you 

delete one or more rows from your table and save the table. Then you create a map with customized 

labels and save the labels to a workspace. You pack the table to purge the deleted rows. Since the 

Pack command closes the Map window, you’ll need to reload the workspace. When you do so, your 

labels are corrupted. 

This problem occurs most often when the deleted rows are located near the top of the Browser. To 

avoid the problem, pack the table before you create the labels. 

Using AutoLabeling 

In addition to label content, you control the position, display and look of automatic labels in Layer 

Control. The settings in the Label Options dialog box allow you to set conditions for displaying 

labels, in what style they will display, and in what position for all the objects in the layer. 

Controlling Label Display 

The Auto Label attribute in Layer Control is off by default for all map layers. 

To activate labels for a layer(s): 

• Select one or more layers in the Layer Control window and then click the Automatic Labels 

icon. The map redraws with labels for your layer selections. 

You can easily turn the display of automatic labels on or off. In Layer Control, by clicking Automatic 

Labels. Any settings you have specified in the Layer Properties dialog box on the Label Display tab 

are deactivated. You can also click Off in the Visibility group on the Labeling Rules tab. Either way, 

when you go back to your map, the labels no longer display. These settings also apply to labels you 

have edited. 

To make changes to the labels of a selected layer: 

1. Double-click a layer in the Layer Control window. The Layer Properties dialog box displays. 




2. Click the Label Display and Labeling Rules tabs to select the appropriate options for your new 

labels. 

3. Click OK to save your changes. 

Options on the Label Display tab include the following. 

• Label with – Choose the column that you want reflected in the label. You can only set a Label 

with expression on a single layer. After selecting multiple layers in the Layer list, the Label with 

list disables and shows a message that says Mixed. 

• Text Style button – Click the Text Style button to display the Text Style dialog box. 

• Translucency – Use this slider bar to indicate the translucency of the selected object. 

Translucency can be set between 0-100%. A 0% translucency is completely opaque (or cannot 

be seen through). A 100% translucency is completely transparent (or completely invisible). 

• Label Lines – Select a line type, or no line type, to attach the label to the anchor point. 

• None – Do not display a line with the label. 

• Simple – Create a callout by using a simple line that connects the label to the anchor point. 

Label lines display after you move the label from where it was originally created. 

• Arrow – Create a callout by using an arrow and line that connects the label to anchor point. 

Label lines display after you move the label from where it was originally created. 




• Default Position buttons – Use the default position (Anchor Point) buttons and the label offset 

to specify the label’s placement. The anchor point is the label’s position relative to the map 

object. 

Click one of the buttons to select an anchor point. The default anchor point varies with the type of 

map object you are labeling: Regions default to Center, Lines default to Above Center, and 

Points default to Right. 

Anchor 

Point 

Button Position Description 

Upper Left Places the label above and to the left of the anchor point. 

Upper Center Centers the label directly above the anchor point. 

Upper Right Places the label above and to the right of the anchor point. 

Left Places the label directly to the left of the anchor point. 

Center Centers the label at the anchor point. 

Right Places the label directly to the right of the anchor point. 

Lower Left Places the label below and to the left of the anchor point. 

Lower Center Centers the label directly below the anchor point. 

Lower Right Places the label below and to the right of the anchor point. 

The anchor point is an ongoing attribute of the label. For example, if you anchor a point 

object’s label at Center Left and you increase the label’s font size, the text will grow to 

the left. This way, the text can never overwrite the point. 

• Horizontal labels – Select to display all labels horizontally. 

• Rotate label with segments – Select to run the label text parallel to the line segment. Using this 

option, a horizontal polyline would display parallel horizontal labels and a vertical polyline would 

display vertical street labels. 




• Curve labels along segments – Select to display the label along the curve of the polyline or arc 

segment. 

� If you are working with a layer that has line objects such as a street map, select Rotate 

labels with line or Curve labels along segments to position the labels along the lines. 

• Label offset – Designate number of points (a measurement of text size) label should be placed 

from the anchor point. 

� The label’s anchor point and offset move a label with respect to its current location and 

the current zoom. Whenever you want to make minor adjustments to the label’s position, 

you should use these two options. 

Options on the Labeling Rules tab include the following. 

• Visibility On – Check to allow display of labels. 

• Visibility Off – Check to prevent display of automatic labels; labels added using the Label Tool 

will display. 

• Maximum number of labels – Enter the maximum number of labels that will display; labels are 

selected from the designated table in the order in which they are entered in the table. For 

example, if the designated table is the States table, and you enter 10, the first ten states listed in 

the table will be labeled. 

• Display only within zoom range – Select to display labels within a specified zoom range, much 

the same way that you display map layers within a certain zoom range. When labeling a dense 

table of streets such as a StreetPro Display layer, only a few of the streets will be labeled when 

the map is zoomed out. 

� When a layer is outside of its zoom range, the layer name is dimmed and there is an 

asterisk (*) beside the Visible On/Off check box. If the zoom range is set to Display only 

within zoom range and the map's zoom level is out of the label's min/max zoom range, 

then the Automatic Labels do not display in the map. 

• Min Zoom – Specify the minimum distance at which the selected layer is visible. 

• Max Zoom – Specify the maximum distance at which the selected layer is visible. 

• Discard Overlapping Text – Select to remove labels that overlap each other. 

• When overlaps occur try other positions – Select to avoid overlapping labels and display more 

label options. When labels would overlap, MapInfo Professional tries to place conflicting labels in 

other positions around the object the label is describing. 

• Allow overlapping text – Select allow labels to be drawn on top of each other. Some labels do 

not display because they overlap labels that are have been given higher priority on the map. 

• Allow duplicate text – Check to allow duplicate labels for different objects to display, for 

example, Portland, OR and Portland, ME. This option is also used with street maps to label 

street segments individually. 

• Label partial objects – Check to label polylines and objects whose centroids are not visible in 

the Map window. This feature only applies to autolabels. Also, when you customize a label, the 

location of the label will not change. 




• Curved labels may extend beyond line by – Use this slider bar to indicate the amount a label 

may extend beyond the end of a line (such as a street) The default amount is 40%. 

� You must set this value for each polyline layer whose labels you want to extend. You can 

set the same or different extensions for each layer, as is appropriate for your data. This 

feature is not available for the Horizontal labels or the Rotate labels with segments 

placement options. 

You can also select and drag a label to move it, but this is not recommended because you are 

actually moving the label location on the map. If you drag a label a few pixels, the distance you move 

it is in the current map units, regardless of the zoom. For example, if you are displaying a map of the 

United States and drag New York state’s label a few pixels, at that zoom, the label looks fine. 

However, if the Map Units distance is in miles and you zoom in on New York state, the label will 

display much farther away than at the previous zoom. 

In a table sorted alphabetically by street (like the StreetPro Display layer) this often means that 

streets with names beginning with A, B, or C are almost the only labeled streets on your map. 

Labeling effectively gives a small side street like “Aberdeen Street” priority over “State Highway 177” 

or other major roads that might actually be useful in navigating or orienting a viewer. This will be 

true for any dense StreetPro Display layer. 

A Note Affecting Label Priority 

Labels display following the order of records in the table. To change the order of priority for 

displaying labels, save a copy of the table, sorted in order of priority—most important record first— 

and use that table for labeling instead of the original. 

• See Using Curved Labels for more information in the Help System. 

• See Set Font Anti-Aliasing Options for Labels for more information in the Help System. 

Creating Call Outs 

Callouts are labels with lines pointing to the objects they are labeling. They are very useful when 

there are many labels in a relatively small area. For example, if you are labeling a map of Europe, 

where there are many small countries that are relatively close together, you can use callouts to 

make the labels easier to read. 

1. Choose Map > Layer Control to display the Layer Control window. 

2. Click the Editable icon to make the Cosmetic Layer editable. 

3. Click the Text button in the Drawing toolbar. 

4. Position the Text tool where you want the arrow or line to point and type the text you want as the 

call-out. 

5. Double-click the text with the Select tool. The Text Object Attribute dialog box displays. 


6. Choose Simple Line or Arrow Line. 



� Arrow Line has an arrow at one end of the line. A Simple Line does not. 

7. Click OK. 

8. Select the text object and position it where you please. A line is drawn from the new position of 

the text object to its original position. 

� You can double-click the text and set the label line in the Text Object dialog box. 

Label Styles 

The Text Style dialog box gives you a number of choices for label and text object styles. You can 

also change the styles of multiple selected labels at a time. 

To make style changes for all the labels, click the Style button in the Label Options dialog box to 

display the Text Style dialog box. 

To change the styles of a selected label or labels, select the label(s) and either on the Options 

menu, click Text Style, or click the Text Style button in the Drawing toolbar to display the Text Style 

dialog box. If you change the styles of multiple labels at once, hold down the Shift key as you select 

each label. 

Make the style changes you want. When you return to the map, the selected labels display with the 

style changes you specified. The available styles are explained in the next table. 

Option Description 

Bold Uses bold text to create the label. 

Italic Uses italic text to create the label. 

Underline Places a line underneath the text. 

All Caps TEXT DISPLAYS IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. 

Shadow Creates a shadow behind the text. (not shown) 

Expanded A s p a c e i s p l a c e d b e t w e e n e a c h c h a r a c t e r i n t h e l a b e l 

o r t e x t o b j e c t. 

There are also three background options. 

• Click None to have no background. 

• Choose Halo to create a halo effect around the text. This puts the text into relief from 

whatever it covers (for example, part of a region, or a street, etc.). 

• Click Box to create a background box behind the text. 




When you choose either the Box or Halo backgrounds, the Color list is activated. Click it to display 

a palette of colors for the halo or the background. The color you choose corresponds to the button 

that is currently activated. The color displays in the box and in the Sample. Click OK to accept a 

color. 

Labeling Interactively 

Although you will probably do most of your labeling automatically, you will need interactive labeling 

to edit and create individual labels. 

Editing Labels 

It is very easy to edit individual labels, either those you have displayed automatically or those you 

have created interactively with the Label tool. Using the Select tool, double-click the label. The Label 

Style dialog box displays. The changes you make in Label Style dialog box apply only to the 

selected label. Changes you want to apply to all the labels must be done through Label Display tab 

and Labeling Rules tab in the Layer Properties dialog box (choose Map > Layer Control and 

double-click on a layer in the list). 

. 

The Label Style dialog box allows you to make changes to the text, position, and angle of the labels. 

You can also make changes to callouts, add, or delete them. 

To change the label content, simply type the new label text into the Text box. The other controls in 

this dialog box work the same way as in the Label Options dialog box. 

Moving a selected label is the same as moving other objects; simply drag them with the mouse. If 

you move a label that has a callout, the line will reappear automatically after you move the label. 

You can also rotate the label manually about its anchor point. When you select the label, use the 

rotation edit handle that appears to the lower right of the label. 

• For more information, see Moving Labels You Created Manually in the Help System. 


Using Text Objects as Labels 



While labels in MapInfo Professional are attributes of the map layer, text objects look like labels but 

behave like other annotations you draw on the map. They are stored in the Cosmetic layer, and you 

can save them to a table. 

The Labeler tool in the MapInfo Professional Tool Manager helps you use text objects to perform 

several common labeling tasks: 

• Convert labels into text objects, so that they can be saved in a permanent table. 

• Create labels for only the currently-selected objects. 

• Draw text objects one at a time using the Text Label button. This allows you to create 

multiple annotations for a single map feature, which is something you cannot do using labels. 

Creating Labels with the Labeler Tool 

Use the Labeler tool to create individual labels. First, make sure that the layer containing the objects 

you want to label is selectable. Click the Labeler tool to activate it, and click a map object. MapInfo 

Professional labels the object with the column or expression you specified for that layer in the Map 

menu, point to Layer Control. Double-click on the layer to display the Layer Properties dialog and 

make changes on the Label Display tab and Labeling Rules tab. Remember that InfoTips are active 

for the Labeler tool, so you can view the object’s label before you actually label the object. 

• For more information about the Labeler tool, see the Tools section of the Help System. 

Saving Labels 

Whenever you manually edit automatic labels (including deleting using the Edit menu, and click 

Clear or press the Delete key), change the settings on automatic labels, or create labels with the 

Label tool, you will need to save your map to a workspace to have them display in your next session. 

For example, label settings are deactivated by default. click the Automatic Labels icon in Layer 

Control to display automatic labels on your map and do not save the change when you close the 

table. The next time you display your map, the labels do not display because the settings go back to 

the defaults. As with the other Layer Control options, label settings are temporary unless you save 

the table to a workspace. 

Manually edited labels and labels created with the Label tool behave differently. These are edits to 

the table, not temporary settings. If you close a window or a table and you have label edits pending, 

MapInfo Professional will specifically prompt you to save the session to a workspace. 

This also applies to labels you have deleted using the Edit menu, click Clear or press the Delete 

key. You may not have any labels visible on your map, but because deleting a label is an editing 

operation, MapInfo Professional will ask you if you want to save the edits to a workspace. 

• For more information, see Removing Labels in the Help System. 


Adding an Adornment to the Map 


Adding an Adornment to the Map 

MapInfo Professional provides map adornments, such as scale bar, to place and anchor in a map or 

layout window. The scale or geographic position of the map does not affect the position or size of an 

adornment, so it remains stationary when zooming or panning the map. However, the properties and 

visual representation of an adornment, such as a map scale, may change as the map projection or 

scale changes. 

Adornments are drawn as the topmost elements on a map, on top of any labels and on top of the 

cosmetic layer. Adornments may display with a border and a background. You can move 

adornments anywhere on the map by clicking and dragging them with the mouse cursor. 

You can pre-set adornment properties, such as the default position and style, in the Map 

Preferences dialog box, Options > Preferences > Map Window, under the Adornments tab. 

Adding a Scale Bar to Represent Map Scale 

The map scale bar shows the scale of map representation relative to the portion of the Earth’s 

surface it displays. The scale bar also has the option to show the cartographic scale of the map. 

About Map Scale 

A map represents a portion of the Earth's surface, so each map has a scale that indicates the 

relationship between a distance on the map and the distance on the ground. The scale is a ratio or 

representative fraction (RF). It can be expressed as 1/100,000 or 1:100,000. In this example, one 

centimeter on the map equals 100,000 centimeters (1 kilometer) on the earth. It also means that one 

inch on the map is equal to 100,000 inches on the land (8,333 feet, 4 inches or about 1.6 miles). Or 

even 1 paperclip on the map is equal to 100,000 paperclips on the ground. Common RFs include 

1:63,360 (1 inch to 1 mile) and 1:1,000,000 (1 cm to 10 km). 

In MapInfo Professional, a map scale that does not include distance units, such as 1:63,360 or 

1:1,000,000, is called a cartographic scale. 

Maps are often known as large scale or small scale. A large scale map shows greater detail and has 

a larger representative fraction (RF) of 1:50,000 or greater (for example, 1:10,000). A small scale 

map shows more of the earth’s surface and has a small RF, such as 1:250,000 to 1:7,500,000. Maps 

between 1:50,000 to 1:250,000 are an intermediate scale. Maps of the world that fit on to a normal 

sheet of paper are very small scale, about 1 to 100 million. 

The scale bar adjusts as you zoom and pan the map to accurately reflect the new map view. 

See the Help System for these related topics: 

• Adding a Scale Bar to the Map 

• Adding a Cartographic Scale to the Scale Bar 

• Resetting the Scale Bar or Cartographic Scale Value 


Working with Layouts 



Once you have created the perfect map, MapInfo Professional gives you the tools you need to 

create high-quality presentations or output. Using the Layout window, you can create and customize 

a page layout that shows off your maps, browsers and graphs. 

. 

What is a Layout Window? 

MapInfo Professional’s Layout window is a page layout feature that allows you to combine your Map, 

Browser and Graph windows on a page and arrange them for output. You can add any currently 

open window to the layout and move and resize it to find the best look to show off your work. Add 

text such as titles and labels to pull the entire presentation together. 

While you can print individual Map, Browser, and Graph windows directly without the Layout window 

(on the File menu, click Print), you can only print a thematic legend by first adding it to a Layout 

window. You can also print the data contained in the Info tool, statistics and message windows from 

the Layout Window. 

The Layout window is available as soon as you open MapInfo Professional. On the Window menu, 

click New Layout window to access it. When the Layout window is active, MapInfo Professional puts 

a Layout menu on the menu bar, allowing access to a number of layout features. 

When you add your windows to the Layout window, MapInfo Professional places them inside layout 

frames. Using frames to hold your maps and browsers allows you to resize and reposition your 

windows with ease. The contents of the frame match the contents of the corresponding Map, 

Browser or Graph window. 

The Layout window provides dynamic linking between it and a parent window. For instance, if you 

change the zoom in a Map window, that map will be updated in the Layout window once you make 

the Layout window active again. 




The rest of this chapter is devoted to learning how best to create a layout, move around in the 

Layout window, and customize your layout using a variety of options. 

Working in the Layout Window 

The Layout window functionality includes a number of options to help make it easier to design and 

create your layouts. 

Adding a Maximized Window to a Layout 

You can put a maximized Map window into a frame in a Layout. The frame object’s dimensions are 

created according to the Map window’s size instead of the page layout size. MapInfo Professional 

also allows the map’s image to completely fill the frame, preserving the map’s center and zoom 

settings. If you double-click on the frame, you will notice that the Frame Object dialog box has a 

check box: Fill Frame with Contents. This allows the map image to fill the entire frame. The box is 

checked by default for all Map windows in frames. 

Aligning Objects in the Layout Window 

To align one or more objects in the Layout window: 


• Choose one object 

• Hold down the Shift key and click several objects 

• In the File menu, click Select All to select all of the objects in the Layout 

2. Choose Layout > Align Objects. The Align Objects dialog box displays. Use the dialog box's 

drop-down lists to specify your vertical and horizontal settings. 

3. Choose the desired horizontal and vertical settings. 

4. Click OK. The selected objects align according to the settings you specified. 

� Your alignment settings are saved from one use to the next within a session. Be sure to 

check both the vertical and horizontal settings before you click OK. 

Getting Around in the Layout Window 

The Layout window includes a rule along the top and left side of the window to assist you when 

resizing and positioning frames. To hide the rule, on the Layout menu, click Options. The Layout 

Display Options dialog box displays. Clear the Show Rules check box. 

If you are creating a multi-page layout, MapInfo Professional displays the page breaks by default. If 

you wish to turn off the page breaks, clear the Show Page Breaks box in the Options dialog box. 

Controlling Zoom Level 

MapInfo Professional displays the Layout window at a zoom level that is a fraction of the actual size 

of the printed layout. The zoom level is represented as a percent of actual size in the lower left 

corner of the status bar. 




In order to better position or resize layout objects, you may want to change the zoom level of the 

Layout window to see more detail. Keep in mind that you are changing the overall zoom of the 

Layout window, not the zoom of individual windows in frames. (If you want to change the zoom level 

on a frame containing a Map window, change the zoom for the Map window itself.) 

There are four ways to change the zoom level of the Layout window: 

• Use the Zoom-in and Zoom-out tools. These tools work exactly as they do in the Map window. 

You can click the Layout window with the tools or draw a marquee box around the areas of the 

Layout window. 

• On the Layout menu, click Change Zoom to set the zoom. You can set the zoom anywhere 

between 6.3% and 800%. 

• Use the number keys (1–8) on your keyboard to set the zoom level. As the numbers increase, 

the zoom increases geometrically. For example, press 1 to get a zoom of 6.3%, press 2 to get a 

zoom of 12.5%, and press 3 to get a zoom of 25%. (Remember to use the number keypad, and 

make sure Num Lock is on.) 

• Use the View commands in the Layout menu: View Actual Size, View Entire Layout, 

Previous View. 

Ordering Overlapping Objects 

You may add enough windows to the Layout window to cause objects to overlap one another. In the 

Layout window all objects are ordered from front to back. Think of them as being stacked in the 

Layout. When you draw a new object, it is automatically the front most object, even if it is not 

overlapping any other objects in the layout. To display your objects properly, you may need to bring 

an object forward in front of other objects. 

You can use the Bring to Front and Send to Back commands to change the order of objects. Click an 

object with the Select tool. Choose the Bring to Front option to move the object into the foreground. 

Choose the Send to Back object to move the object into the background. 

When you select an object using the Ctrl key along with the Select tool, MapInfo Professional 

selects the object one layer down. Selecting again chooses the next layer. 

Before You Create a Layout 

The first step in generating quality output is creating good Map windows. MapInfo Professional is set 

up to do a great deal of on-screen data entry, object editing, geocoding, and geographic analysis. 

There are many windows available to work with that can be easily arranged on the screen. When 

you prepare any MapInfo Professional window for output using a Layout window, you must change 

the way you think of using MapInfo Professional. 

For example, in a MapInfo Professional session, if you want two views of a map, you may simply use 

the Grabber tool and shift to a different location, and then return via Map menu (click Previous 

View). To get two views of the same map for a Layout, you must have two separate Map windows. 

There are many techniques that can be used to prepare the windows to make output easier. 


Creating Multiple Views of the Same Map 



One very popular way to display maps is to have a detailed map with an inset of an overview map 

representing the general area. For example, government planners have a detailed flood plain map 

thematically shaded for an area around a major city. They want to include an inset map showing the 

location of that city in relation to the entire region. We can simulate this exercise with the 

WORLD.TAB table included with MapInfo Professional. 

� Some of the files described in this example may refer to MapInfo Professional Tutorial data, 

which is available on the Pitney Bowes Software Inc. web site, 


To create multiple views of the same map: 

1. Open the WORLD.tab and WORLDCAP.TAB tables from the MapInfo/Data/World directory. The 

tables display in a Map window. 

2. Choose the area you want to show in detail and zoom in on it. The Map window contains the 

detailed view. 

3. As stated previously, there must be a separate Map window for each view you want to include in 

a layout. Instead of re-opening the tables to re-create the Map window, on the Map menu, click 

Clone View to create a duplicate Map window. 

4. A new Map window displays. Zoom out on this map to create the overview map. 




The new Map window is independent of the original Map window. You may add or 

remove layers without changing the original map. 

Getting Labels Right for your Layout Window 

There are many considerations in getting labels to look good on your maps. As with changing views 

of the map, there is a significant difference between using labels in a MapInfo Professional session 

and using them in a layout. Labeling in a MapInfo Professional session is best handled by clicking 

Automatic Labels for a layer in Layer Control. 

When you create a map to place in a Layout window, you usually need to spend more time making 

your labels look aesthetically pleasing. It is also more likely that you will want to save these labels to 

a separate layer. With the default labeling, label styles can be changed; however, customized labels 

are not saved in their own layer for future use or editing. To create labels that can be easily saved, 

use AUTOLABEL.MBX or LABELER.MBX. These MapBasic applications allow you to create labels 

that can be saved to a separate layer for future use. 

For instructions on using the AutoLabeler tool, see the Tools section of the Help System. 

Creating a Layout Window 

Creating a layout involves adding your Map, Legend, Graph, and Browser windows to the Layout 

window, positioning these items where you want them, and adding any annotations such as text and 

titles so that your final layout presents the message you want to send. 

You bring your windows into the Layout window by adding them to placeholders, or frames. A frame 

is a graphic object through which you can view a window. Each frame may contain the contents of 

one Map, Graph, Browser, or Legend window. 




First, decide what you want to put in the Layout window. You can choose whether you want to 

display all, some, or none of your open windows. 

To create a Layout window: 

1. Choose Window > New Layout Window. 

When no windows are open, MapInfo Professional creates a blank Layout. When there are 

windows open, MapInfo Professional displays the New Layout Window dialog box. 

2. Choose one of the options. 

Situation Description 

One Frame 

for Window 

Frames for 

all Currently 

open 

Windows 

MapInfo Professional places a single open frame in the center of the layout. You 

select the contents of this frame through the drop-down menu that lists all open 

windows. 

If you choose a Map or Graph window from this list and there is an active map 

legend, MapInfo Professional automatically places the legend in the layout. You 

can reposition or delete this legend from the layout. Legends are positioned in the 

same way as Map, Browser, and Graph windows. Their relative locations are 

preserved on the screen. 

This option tells MapInfo Professional to place all open windows in the layout. 

Since MapInfo Professional places windows in the approximate location and size 

as they appear in the MapInfo Professional window, you should arrange and size 

the windows before you bring them into the layout. 

No Frames If you prefer, you can create a blank layout by choosing the No Frames option. If 

you do not have any windows open, choosing New Layout Window automatically 

creates a blank layout. The New Layout Window dialog box does not display. 

Since a frame is a graphic object, you can: 

• Reposition it using the Select tool. 

• Change its fill, and the line style of its border. 

• Copy or cut the frame and paste it into another Layout window. 

You can also position frames so that they overlap one another or overlap other graphic objects. 

To change which window is displayed in a frame, double-click the frame with the Select tool. Use 

the drop-down list in the Frame Object dialog box to change the frame’s contents. 

1. Click OK. MapInfo Professional opens and displays that Layout. 

When MapInfo Professional first opens a Layout, it sets the page size and orientation (portrait or 

landscape) according to the current setting for your printer. The current setting for your printer is 

determined by the printer specifications designated in Options > Preferences > Printer. You can 

change the printer settings for the active Layout window through File > Page Setup, or by using the 

Set Window Printer command in the MapBasic window. When you later open that Layout when the 

printer setup is different, the Layout uses the page size and orientation for that printer setup. The 

sizes and positions of objects in the Layout are the same, but the way the Layout is broken into 

pages is different. 




After you create a Layout, that Layout is the currently active window. MapInfo Professional places 

the Layout menu item on the menu bar. Use the Layout menu to choose your layout options. 

Adding a Maximized Map Window to a Layout 

You can place a maximized Map window into a frame in a Layout. The frame object’s dimensions 

are created according to the Map window’s size instead of the page layout size. MapInfo 

Professional also allows the map’s image to completely fill the frame, preserving the map’s center 

and zoom settings. If you double-click the frame, you will notice that the Fill Frame with Map check 

box in the Frame Object dialog box is checked. This allows the map image to fill the entire frame. 

The box is checked by default for all Map windows in frames. 

Adding a Map to a Layout 

After you have created a layout, you may decide that you want to add other maps to it. You do not 

have to create a new layout to do this. You can create frames by hand to contain other windows. 

Use the Frame tool to draw window frames where you want them. The Frame tool is available 

whenever the Layout window is active. 

To add a window to a layout you are already working with: 

1. Click the Frame button in the Drawing toolbar and the cursor becomes a small cross. 

2. Move the cursor to where you want to begin drawing. 

3. Click and hold the mouse button and drag the cursor diagonally until the dashed box outlines the 

area where you want the frame. 

4. Release the mouse button. When there are no windows open, an empty frame displays with "No 

Window" inside. When there are one or more open windows, the Frame Object dialog box 

displays. 




This dialog box is slightly different for each type of frame. The Map Scale options are 

only available when you select a Map window in the frame. 

� The Fill Frame check box does not display for Browser, Cartographic Legend, and Graph 

windows. 

The Frame Object dialog box allows you to change the width, height, and center of the frame and 

to set a specific scale for a map. When there are several windows open on the screen, MapInfo 

Professional displays its choice in the Window drop-down list. This list allows you to choose 

which window you would like in your frame. 

5. In the Window drop-down list, select the window you want to add and review the options for 

creating this frame. 

• Bounds X1, Y2 and X2, Y2 — Use these fields to define the x and y boundaries for the new 

frame. When you change bounds entries, the Center, Width, and Height entries change 

accordingly. When you change the bounds entries, the Map Scale changes as well. 

• Center X, Y — Use these fields to define and adjust the center point of your new frame. 

� When you make a change to the Center X or Y entries, the Width and Height bounds 

do not change. 

• Width, Height — Use these fields to adjust the width and height of the new frame. 

• Change Map Zoom — Click this radio button to implement the correct map scale without 

changing the size of the frame. This option changes the zoom of the actual Map window so 

that the Layout frame is in the correct scale. This option is selected by default. Type the scale 




you want within this frame in the Scale. The units are set by the Paper Unit setting in the 

System Preferences dialog box. 

For example: 

Map Scale = Scale field entry x (Frame width / Map window width) 

� Changing the map scale with this option will not change the values in the Bounds 

fields or the Width and Height fields because there is no change to the size of the 

frame, only the look of the map within the frame. To undo the change to the map 

zoom, return to the Map window and click Previous View. 

6. Select one of these options: 

• Resize Frame — Click this radio button to change the size of the frame based on the data 

you enter into the Scale field. When you change this entry, the bounds, Center, Width, and 

Height entries change accordingly. 

• Fill Frame with Contents — Click this check box to display as much of the Map window as 

fits in the frame. When you do not select this button, the frame may be only partially filled but 

it will have the same contents as the window it contains. 

7. Click OK to choose MapInfo Professional's choice and that window is placed into the frame. 

8. Choose a window from the dialog box's Window drop-down list. 

9. Click OK and the window is placed in the frame. 

� When you click the Change Map Zoom or Resize Frame radio button, you set your 

selection as the default for the rest of the session. If you change it during the session, the 

change becomes the default. 

Once you have created a frame, you treat it much like any other graphic object. You can change its 

size and position, its line style and fill pattern, and you can cut, copy, and paste it. 

• You can access instructions for making a frame transparent in the Help System. 

Using Legends in a Layout 

You can use both cartographic and theme legends in your layout. Both types of windows display in 

the layout at the same size as they do on the MapInfo Professional desktop. 

When you resize a legend frame to make it smaller, it crops the legend rather than shrinking it to fit. 

The text styles (for example, font, size) used in the cartographic and theme legend windows are 

preserved in the layout. 

Adding a legend to the Layout window is a different process, depending on the type of legend. You 

can add a theme legend to a layout even when no theme legend displays in the MapInfo 

Professional desktop. 

To do this, make sure the Layout window is active and click the Frame button. 

1. In the Layout window, click and drag to draw the frame for your theme legend. When you release 

the mouse, the Frame Object dialog box displays. 




2. In the Window drop-down list, select the theme legend and click OK. The theme legend displays 

in the layout frame. This is also how you add other types of windows on your desktop to the 

current layout. 

In cartographic legends, you must create the legend on your desktop (on the Map menu, click 

Create Legend) before you can add it to the Layout window. 

Moving Frames in a Layout Window 

Once you have brought in the windows you wish to include in the layout, you can reposition or resize 

them to create a professional looking product. 

To move a frame: 

1. Click the frame with the Select tool and hold down the mouse button. 

2. When the cursor becomes a four-headed arrow (after about one second), drag the frame to the 

new location and release the mouse button. 

Aligning Objects in a Layout Window 

MapInfo Professional includes a command to help you perfectly align objects in the Layout window. 

You can align objects to each other horizontally and vertically or to the Layout window itself. 

Choose the objects you want to align and on the Layout menu, click Align Objects. The Align 

Object dialog box displays. 

Specify the appropriate vertical and horizontal alignment. Choose from the following options: 

Horizontal Alignment Vertical Alignment 

Don’t change alignment Don’t change alignment 

Align left edges of Align top edges of 

Align center of Align center of 

Align right edges of Align bottom edges of 

Distribute Distribute 

Each alignment can be performed with respect to each object or to the entire layout. When you 

choose the entire layout, the objects are aligned with respect to the top, bottom, left, and right edges 

or margins of the layout. 

If you want to align objects with respect to each other, the objects are aligned with respect to an 

imaginary rectangle, called the bounding rectangle, that completely encloses the objects. The 

horizontal and vertical settings you choose position the objects at the top, bottom, left, right, and 

horizontal or vertical center lines of the bounding rectangle, rather than at the edges of the layout. 

The Distribute option tells MapInfo Professional to distribute the vertical and horizontal space 

between objects evenly. You can perform multiple alignments in one layout. 




• For more examples, see Examples of Aligning Objects in a Layout Window in the Help System. 

Setting the Map Scale for a Layout Window 

One of the most difficult tasks in generating good output is setting the scale of the map. There are 

two ways to set the map scale. The first method is to choose Map menu and click Change View. 

This scale setting affects the on-screen scale of your map according to your monitor size. This scale 

setting isn’t used as often, because generally the scale on screen does not need to be exact. Use 

the on-screen scale when you are making a presentation that will be viewed directly in MapInfo 


� The Map Window Preference setting Use Cartographic Scale affects the entries in the 

Change View dialog box. 

Accurate scale is more important on the printed map. To get the correct scale for output, you must 

coordinate the Map window with the Layout window. You must also decide on the desired end result. 

For example, you may want a map that has a 1:25000 scale and fits in a nine inch Layout frame. If 

this is the case, you will have to alter the zoom level of your map to fit these conditions. Or, in the 

case where you must show a set distance across the map, you may have to allow for a larger page 

size. The following two formulas will help you set the right map zoom, scale, and frame width. 

Limiting Frame Size When Setting the Layout Scale 

The following formula calculates the zoom that must be set in your Map window in order to have a 

map meet set scale and frame width criteria. 

((Frame Width in Inches * Scale)/12) /5280 = Map Zoom in Miles 

For example, you need to make a map that will be in a scale of 1:24000 and fit in an eight inch 

frame. You need to determine the zoom level that will accommodate the map scale and frame width. 

Calculate the following: 

((8 * 24000) / 12) / 5280) = 3.03 

On the Map menu, click Change View and enter 3.03 miles as your new zoom level. 

Limiting Map Zoom when Setting the Layout Scale 

The following formula calculates the number of inches to make the frame for a map in order to meet 

set scale and zoom level criteria. 

(Map Zoom in Miles * 5280 * 12) / Scale = Necessary Frame Width 

For example, you need to make a map that will be in a scale of 1:100000, and you must view a 

twenty mile zoom level. You need to determine the frame size that will accommodate the scale and 

zoom. 

Calculate the following: 

(20 * 5280 * 12) / 100000 = 12.67 



Creating a Cartographic Legend 

Your frame needs to be 12.67 inches wide. If your printer is not large enough to handle this, change 

your layout size to spread over two pages. 

• For more information, see Creating a Simple Scale Bar in the Help System. 

Cloning a Map View 

You can create a second view of your map with the Clone View command. Clone View creates a 

duplicate Map window that you can then alter to create a different view of your map, for example, a 

street map of a city and a zoomed in view of a major intersection, or use a different kind of thematic 

analysis for each view. It is particularly useful when you are creating a Layout and you want to 

present side-by-side views of the same location. 

� Cloned windows in a workspace are written as MapBasic commands to the .WOR file. These 

command statements cannot exceed 32,000 bytes. 

Now that you have completed your professional looking layout, printing is a simple matter. 

Creating a Cartographic Legend 

You can utilize the cartographic legend feature in a variety of ways. This feature enables you to 

create a legend for any map layer(s) in your Map window. Many of the elements in the 

cartographic legend and legend window can be customized, allowing you to enhance your map 

presentation. You have the added proficiency of being able to use the table metadata in your 

cartographic legend text as well as save legend attributes to the metadata. You are also able to 

align all of the legend frames in your Map window. Furthermore, the cartographic legend feature 

has the ability to join tables “on-the-fly”, thus allowing you to obtain legend feature descriptions 

from another table while you are creating the legend. 

What is a Cartographic Legend? 

Cartographic legends are based on the map layers in your Map window. Each legend in the legend 

window corresponds to a layer on the map, and each legend is enclosed in a legend frame within the 

legend window. The attributes for each legend frame, such as the title and label styles can be 

derived from several sources. These are: 

• Map table metadata 

• Map table attributes 

• Joined tables 

• Manual creation 

A legend frame is another way to refer to a particular layer’s legend. You can create an individual 

legend window for each layer in your map, or you can have several legend frames in one legend 

window. The properties for each legend frame can be edited individually. 

• For instructions, see Creating a Cartographic Legend or Changing a Cartographic Legend in the 

Help System. 


Steps to Creating a Cartographic Legend 

To create a legend, follow these steps: 


Printing and Exporting Your Results 

1. Selecting Layers 

The layers listed in the Legend Frames group of the Create Legend – Step 1 of 3 dialog box are 

all the layers that will be included in your legend. All the layers in your Map window are included 

by default. 

2. Defining Window Properties and Frame Defaults 

In Step 2 of the Create Legend wizard, you specify the settings for your Legend window and the 

default settings for the legend frames. 

3. Legend Attributes 

The Create Legend wizard allows you to create attribute-driven legends. This makes creating 

text descriptions easier because they can be automatically generated from values in an attribute 

column. In addition, the process by which the legend is generated can be saved to the map table 

metadata in the underlying map layer, or from a joined table. The metadata is then used as the 

default attribute settings for the selected legend frame. These settings can be different for each 

frame. The metadata defaults override the Legend Frame defaults in Step 2 of the wizard. If no 

metadata keys exist in the table, the Legend Frame defaults from Step 2 are used as the default 

values. 

• For more information and related topics, see Creating a Cartographic Legend and Saving 

Legend Attributes to Metadata in the Help System. 


This section covers the printing and exporting options in MapInfo Professional. 

Printing Your Project 

When you need to create presentation materials, you can print out the MapInfo Professional layouts 

you have created. 

Page Setup 

First check that your page setup is what you want. Any changes to the page setup will likely affect 

the layout, so it is a good idea to view the effect of the changes on your layout before printing. On the 

File menu, click Page Setup. Here, you can specify the page orientation (portrait or landscape) and 

margins. You can also specify the paper size and its source. 

In addition, you can override your default printer setting and choose a different printer for this print 

job. Click the Printer button to display the Page Setup dialog box for your printer. The printer that 

initially displays is the default printer that you set in the Printer preferences (on the Options menu, 

point to Preferences and click Printer). This will either be the Windows default printer, or the 

MapInfo Professional preferred printer that you selected. Make any changes you want to the printer 

and its properties, and click OK. The settings available in the Printer Properties dialog box will vary 

according to the printer you are using. 


Printing Options 



Changes you make to these settings override the default settings from the Output Preferences. 

When you are ready to print: 

1. Make sure the Layout window is active. On the File menu, click Print. The Print dialog box 

displays. 

2. Choose the number of copies you want to print and whether you want all pages or a specific 

range of pages to print. As in the Page Setup dialog box, the Print dialog box also allows you to 

override the default printer settings. 

3. Click the Name drop-down list in the Print dialog box to select a printer. All of the printers 

available on your system display in the list. You can specify printer properties here as well, plus 

specify whether to print to a file. 

4. To use the advanced print settings to take advantage of additional output options that help you 

control transparency and color, particularly for raster images, click the Advanced button. The 

Advanced Printing Options dialog box displays. 

a. Indicate using which print Output Methods would you want to print your Layout: 

Print Directly to Device — Click this option to print your image file directly from MapInfo 

Professional. This check box is checked by default. 

Print Using Enhanced Metafile (EMF) — Use this option to generate an enhanced metafile 

of your MapInfo Professional image before sending it to the printer. This option takes 

advantage of current technology to shrink the spool size and print your file quicker without 

sacrificing quality. 

Output Method/Print Using Offscreen Bitmap (OSBM) — Click this option to generate an 

offscreen bitmap of your MapInfo Professional image before sending it to the printer. 

Offscreen bitmap is invoked depending upon the type of translucent content in the map and 

enhanced rendering state of the window. However, setting OSBM from this window means 

that while printing Offscreen bitmaps (OSBM) will be selected regardless of the translucency 

and anti alias settings. 




b. Indicate how you want to handle transparency. If you have transparent vector fill patterns and 

symbols, check the Internal Handling for Transparent Vector Fills and Symbols box to 

have MapInfo Professional handle the transparency internally. 

If you are using transparency in a raster image, clear the Use ROP Method to Display 

Transparent Raster box to have MapInfo Professional handle the transparency internally. 

The image will be broken down into small rectangular regions that do not contain 

transparency. It is recommended that you check this option because printers do not always 

handle transparent raster images correctly. This method may produce large plot files. 

c. If you are using 24-bit, true color raster images, select the Print Raster in True Color When 

Possible check box, and select a dither method from the Dither Method list. 

� The Print Border for Map Window check box is not available for Layout windows. 

You can control the border for each frame by selecting the frame and setting by 

selecting the Options menu, clicking Region Style. 

d. Click OK to return to the Print dialog box. 

5. Click OK to print. 

More and more often, users want to export their maps electronically to files rather than print them. 

Exporting a Layout 

The easiest way to make electronic copies of maps and layouts from MapInfo Professional is to use 

the Save Window As command. You can export to Windows Bitmap, Windows Metafile, Windows 

Enhanced Metafile, JPEG File Interchange Format, JPEG 2000, Portable Network Graphics Format, 

Tagged Image file Format (TIFF), CMYK, and Photoshop 3.0. When using the Save Window As 

command, keep in mind that all additions and edits must be made in the Map window. When you 

have the Map window the way you want it, then create the Layout window. You can use the 

advanced export options to produce better quality output. The same transparency and raster options 

are available when you print your Layout as when you export the Layout. Click the Advanced button 

in the Save Window As dialog box to display the Advanced Exporting Options dialog box. The same 

check box settings are available. 




Changes you make to the Advanced Export settings override the default settings in the Output 

preferences. See Setting your Output Setting Preferences on page 186 for more. 

Save Window As Supports Raster Formats 

You can save your map images as GIF, TIFF LZW, and TIFF CCITT Group 4 images. 

To save your data as a raster format: 

1. Open a Map, Layout, Browser or Graph window you want to save in the new format. 

2. From the File menu, click Save Window As to display the Save Window to File dialog box. 

3. Select the type you want to save it in from the Save as type drop-down list. 

• GIF 

• TIFF LZW 

• TIFF CCITT Group 4 

4. Type the name of the file in the Filename field and click Save to save your entries. 

Creating an Encapsulated Postscript File 

If the available Save Window As formats are not appropriate for your needs, or you want to use the 

options in the Layout window, you may want to send your output to an encapsulated postscript 

(EPS) file. This file type is widely used by service bureaus and print shops. There is not a set export 

or save command for EPS files. You must set up a postscript printer driver and print the map or 

layout to a file. 

1. From the Windows Control Panel, select Printers. 

2. In Printer Setup choose Add Printer. The Add Printer Wizard displays. 

3. Follow the wizard for the setup. Choose a postscript printer from the printer list, and select FILE 

as the available port. Enable the option to specify EPS. 

4. Once the postscript driver is installed on your system, use that printer to print the map or layout 

to a file from MapInfo Professional. 

5. From the File menu, select Print. The Print dialog box displays. 

6. Under printer name, select the postscript printer. Click OK. 

7. The Print to File dialog box displays. Give your file a name and choose Save. 

Smoothing the Edges of Images During Export 

To give you more control over map images when exporting MapInfo Professional maps, you can use 

anti-aliasing methods. This is particularly important when you are saving maps created in MapInfo 

Professional for use in other Windows-based applications, in particular in slide presentations or for 

web pages. 




We have added the ability to smooth or anti-alias images during the export process. You can use 

this capability with all types of windows such as Map windows, layouts, legends, and graphs. 

� You cannot anti-alias images you are exporting to .EMF or .WMF format, because these are 

not true raster formats. 

There are three smoothing options you can use to customize your raster image: 

1. Smooth using a Filter value. You can set a flag that selects one of six filters that allow you to 

choose the direction the filter is applied to the image from. 

2. Smooth using a Mask value. You can select a value that indicates the size of the area you want 

to smooth. For example, to create a 3x3 pixel mask value, you would enter a 3 in this field. This 

would limit the amount of change in the color of the pixels. Typically mask sizes would be 2-3 

pixels when exporting at screen resolution. If you are exporting at a higher resolution, a larger 

mask might be appropriate. 

3. Smooth using a Threshold value. You can select a threshold value to indicate which pixels to 

smooth. Each pixel in an image has a value based on its color. The smaller the pixel value, the 

darker the color. Select this option to smooth all of the pixels above the threshold you enter in 

this field. When you set this value to 0, MapInfo Professional will smooth all of the pixels. 

You must either set a global preference for these anti-aliasing options or set them locally during the 

export process (using the Advanced button). 

To set the anti-aliasing preference for exporting images: 

1. From the Options menu, select Preferences and Output Settings to display the Output 


2. Click the Exporting tab to display the anti-aliasing options. 

3. To use anti-aliasing automatically, select the Use Anti-aliasing check box and select from these 

options: 

Smooth using a Filter value 

Choose a filter for the smoothing you want to use. Select from these filters: 

• Vertically and Horizontally (Smooths the image vertically and horizontally) 

• All Directions (1) (Smooths the image in all directions) 

• All Directions (2) (Smooths the image in all directions using a different algorithm) 

• Diagonally (Smooths the image diagonally) 

• Horizontally (Smooths the image horizontally) 

• Vertically (Smooths the image vertically) 

Smooth using a Mask value 

Choose the pixel size of the mask you want MapInfo Professional to use in this field. For 

example, to create a 3x3 pixel mask value, you would enter a 3 in this field. This would limit 

the amount of change in the color of the pixels to the three pixels around the basic pixel. 




Smooth using a Threshold value 

Select a threshold value to indicate which pixels to smooth. Colors are 0 for black and 255 for 

white (in an 8 bit image). Entering a low number changes the look of your map by smoothing 

the darker colors and the lighter colors. Choosing a higher number changes the way the 

lighter colors display. 

To set the anti-aliasing options locally during export: 

1. When you have completed your work on a window, select the File > Save Window As menu 

option. The Save Window to File dialog box displays. 

2. Type the name and indicate the path of the file you are saving in this dialog box. Click Save to 

continue. The Save Window As dialog box displays. 

If you are exporting an EMF or WMF image, the Use Anti-Aliasing check box is 

disabled. 

3. Select the Use Anti-aliasing check box and do one of the following: 

• Click Save to use the anti-aliasing options you selected in the Output Preferences dialog box 

• Click Advanced and choose new anti-aliasing options for this particular map. Click OK to 

return to the Save Window As dialog box. Click Save to save these settings and the file. 

� If you do not select the Use Anti-aliasing check box, the anti-aliasing options in the 

Advanced Exporting Options dialog box are disabled. 


Registering Raster 

Images 

Raster images can provide context to your maps by giving them detail and 

definition. This chapter reviews the details of registering and working with raster 

image files. 


� Working with Raster Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .325 

� Opening a Raster Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .328 

� Printing/Exporting Translucent Raster Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333 

12

Working with Raster Images 

Chapter 12: Registering Raster Images 


There are a number of ways you can obtain raster image files. If you have a scanner and scanner 

software, you can use the scanner to create raster image files. MapInfo Professional can read and 

display the raster image files created with the scanner software. 

Some graphics software packages let you save or export images into raster file formats, such as 

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format). So if you can create a TIFF file with your draw or paint package, 

you can display it in MapInfo Professional. 

You can also purchase raster images from MapInfo Professional or other commercial vendors. 

Some data vendors also offer scanning services. 

Determining Map Coordinates 

When registering your raster image, you need to know the map coordinates that correspond to your 

image. If your raster map image shows a graticule (a grid of longitude/latitude lines), you can 

determine map coordinates by noting the longitude/latitude labels along the graticule. 

If your map does not show a graticule, you may be able to determine map coordinates by locating 

prominent map features, for example, the Northwest corner of a region, and then using another 

MapInfo Professional table as a reference to determine the coordinates of those prominent features. 

For a discussion of this process, see Choosing Control Points from an Existing Map in the Help 

System. 

An Introduction to Raster Image Registration 

What Is a Raster Image? 

A raster image is a type of computerized image that consists of row after row of tiny dots (pixels). If 

you have a scanner and scanner software, you can create a raster image by scanning a paper map. 

After you scan a map image and store the image in a file, you can display the file using MapInfo 


There are many different raster image file formats. MapInfo Professional can read the following 

types of raster image files: JPEG, GIF, TIFF, PCX, BMP, TGA (Targa), and BIL (SPOT satellite). 

What Does It Mean To Register a Raster Image? 

When you register a raster map image, you enter map coordinates (e.g. longitude/latitude degrees), 

and you indicate which locations on the raster image correspond to those coordinates. You must 

register each raster image before displaying the image in MapInfo Professional, so that MapInfo 

Professional can perform geographic calculations, such as distance and area calculations, when 

displaying the raster map. 

The first time you open a raster image file within MapInfo Professional, MapInfo Professional 

displays the Register Raster Image dialog box. By completing this dialog box, you tell MapInfo 

Professional how to register the raster image and determine the coordinate system for the image. 




MapInfo Professional stores the raster image's registration information in a table file for future reuse. 

The next time you run MapInfo Professional, you can re-open the raster table without repeating 

the registration process. Thus, you only need to register each raster image once. 

Raster image files provided by MapInfo Professional are already registered. You do not need to 

perform the registration process when you display the sample raster data included with MapInfo 


Understanding Raster Images in MapInfo Professional 

Using raster image files, you can bring paper maps, photographs, and other graphic images into 

MapInfo Professional. For example, if you work with paper maps, you probably want to use those 

paper maps as the foundation for the maps you create in MapInfo Professional. Once you scan your 

paper map into a raster image file, you then can display it in a Map window. 

Using Raster Images as a Backdrop for MapInfo Professional Maps 

Using a raster image as the base layer of your map gives you a detailed backdrop for your other 

map layers. You can easily change the size, scale, or center point of the displayed image. For 

example, if you want to enlarge part of the image, use the Zoom-in tool. Keep in mind, however, that 

as you increase the image’s size, the display will become grainier if you exceed a 1-1 pixel ratio. 

Each pixel in the image becomes more distinct, causing the image to look more like a series of 

blocks instead of the intended picture. 

Using Raster Images as a Stand-Alone Image 

You may have a satellite image of topography that would be impossible to duplicate as a vector 

image that you want to use for a presentation. You can display the image in MapInfo Professional 

and then incorporate it into a page layout. 

Map Editing with Raster Images 

Once you have superimposed map layers on top of your raster image, you can use the raster image 

as a reference while you edit your map layers. The process of editing based on a screen image is 

known as heads-up digitizing. (To minimize image distortion, only digitize from map images with 

known projections or rectified aerial photographs.) 

Placing a Logo on a Page Layout with Raster Images 

Most raster images displayed in MapInfo Professional are images of paper maps or aerial 

photographs, but almost any image can be scanned and made into a raster image. For example, 

with an image like your company logo, you can open and display the raster file in MapInfo 

Professional without registering it because control point coordinates are irrelevant. You can then 

place it in a frame in a Layout window and incorporate the logo into your page layout. 


Raster Image Format Details 



There are many different raster image file formats. MapInfo Professional can read the following 

types of raster files: 

• filename.ADF (ArcInfo coverage Data File) 

• filename.ASC (ASCII text file) 

• filename.BIL (SPOT satellite images) 

• filename.BMP (Windows bitmap) 

• filename.* (CADRG format) 

• filename.* (CIB format) 

• filename.ECW (ECW 2.0 format handler) 

• filename.EMF (Enhanced Metafile) format 

• filename.FLT (Image Filter) 

• filename.GEN (ADRG format) 

• filename.GEN (ASRP 1.2 format) 

• filename.GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) 

• filename.JP2 (JPEG 2000 format) 

• filename.JPG (JPEG format) 

• filename.NTF (NITF format) 

• filename.PCX (ZSoft Paintbrush) 

• filename.PNG (Portable Network Graphics format) 

• filename.PSD (Photoshop 3.0) 

• filename.SID (MrSID format) 

• filename.TIF (Tagged Image File Format) 

• filename.TXT (Text) 

• filename.TGA (Targa) 

• filename.WMF (Windows Metafile format) 

For a complete list, see the Raster image file formats MapInfo Professional supports at File Format 

Types Supported on page 90. 

MapInfo Professional also supports: 

• Map Tile Server raster images. For more information, see Enhancing Map Data using a 

Mapping Tile Server on page 414. 

• AirPhotoUSA raster images taken at different elevations for particular areas in the United States. 

The AirPhotoUSA map handler allows MapInfo Professional users to open and display the 

imagery contained in AirPhotoUSA Map files as a layer. MapInfo Professional treats these 

images like any other raster file. The MAPINFOW.PRJ file has been updated to accommodate 

the AirPhotoUSA changes. 

� The maximum supported raster image varies by raster handler. 


ARC Grid Format Support 


Opening a Raster Image 

MapInfo Professional uses the Arc Grid Handler to use and display of ESRI grid files. You will see 

the file extension options in the Open Table dialog box when you choose the Files of Type option 

Grid Image. This allows you to open both ASCII and Binary Continuous and Classified grid formats 

but you can only hillshade the Continuous grid files. These types of data files are available from the 

USGS Seamless Data Distribution System. 

� The Arc Grid Handler does not support the Arc Grid Export format (*.e00 extension) in 


• For more information, see Color Options for Raster Images in the Help System. 


When you open a raster file you need to register it to identify coordinate point references for the 

image. Using a vector map as a reference, you identify the coordinates of the vector map and match 

them with equivalent points on the raster image. This coordinate information allows MapInfo 

Professional to determine the position, scale and rotation of the image so that you can overlay 

vector data on top of the image. The coordinate information is stored in a TAB file created during the 

registration process. The TAB file enables you to re-open the raster file in MapInfo Professional 

format. 

You usually register the image the first time you open it. However, you do not need to register the 

image if you do not plan to use vector data with it, or if it already contains georegistration 

information. 

Raster images usually fall into one of three categories: 

• A fully registered image, containing control points and a projection (for example, GeoTIFF file). 

• A partially registered image containing control points, but missing a projection (for example, an 

image with an associated World file). 

• An unregistered image missing control points and a projection. 

Once the image is registered, opening it again requires a slightly different procedure. Opening both 

unregistered and registered images is explained in the next section. 

For more information, see these related topics in the Help System. 

• Opening a Registered Raster Image 

• Opening an Unregistered Raster Image 

• Opening a Georeferenced Raster Image 

Registering the Coordinates of a Raster Image 

Before you can overlay vector data on top of a raster image, you must first register the raster image 

so that MapInfo Professional can position it properly in a Map window. In the Image Registration 

dialog box, you can identify control point coordinates and specify the appropriate projection for the 

raster image. 




Control points are the coordinates you identify on the raster image that MapInfo Professional can 

use later to match up to other layers. It is very important to provide accurate control point information 

when registering a raster image, so MapInfo Professional can display raster images without 

distorting or rotating them. Later, when you overlay vector data, MapInfo Professional distorts and 

rotates the vector data so both layers can line up properly. Identifying significant control points 

makes this match up process easier. We suggest you use highway/street intersections and 

prominent landmarks as control points, as they rarely move. 

Specifying the correct projection of the raster image is also important for accurate display. Images 

that do not have known projections, such as unrectified aerial photographs, are less suitable for use 

with vector data. 

There are two ways to register a raster image in MapInfo Professional. Each involves specifying the 

map coordinates of control points on a reference map and matching them with equivalent points on 

the raster image. To determine map coordinates, you can: 

• Identify a point’s coordinates from the paper map. 

• Determine a raster images control point coordinates on screen and automatically transfer the 

information to the Image Registration dialog box. 

� If you scanned in the image from a paper map, the map most likely contains a graticule 

(latitude and longitude grid). You can choose those coordinates for prominent features and 

enter them in the Image Registration dialog box. 

• For specific instructions, see Registering the Coordinates of a Raster Image and Choosing 

Control Points from an Existing Map in the Help System. 

Reprojecting a Raster Map 

From time to time, you will need to use a raster map registered in one projection in another map in 

different projection. You can reproject the raster image, that is, change the coordinate system and 

the way the raster image displays to accommodate the new vector map. Typically, the open map 

dictates the projection of the successively displayed images. You can also reproject the raster using 

the projection of a vector table. 

Reprojecting a Raster based on a Vector Map 

If you are working with registered raster data such as satellite and aerial photo images, scanned 

maps, grids, seamless tables and WMS data, you might want to reproject that raster data to 

accommodate a vector map. 

MapInfo Professional performs the raster reprojection when you open a registered raster image 

inside of an existing Map window with a different projection or when you change the projection of a 

Map window. During the raster reprojection process, MapInfo Professional recalculates the pixel 

values of the source image to make them display correctly in the destination image. In this 

resampling process, MapInfo Professional tries to restore every pixel value of the image based on 

the pixels around it. In MapInfo Professional there are two methods for calculating the pixel values of 

the destination image: Cubic Convolution and Nearest Neighbor. These are industry-standard terms 

used by GIS professionals all over the world. These methods are described later in this section. 


Due to this feature, these are the precedence rules for Map window projection. 



Both vector and raster layers have “equal rights”, that is, every new layer (without regard for type) is 

reprojected into the current Map window’s projection. That is, which ever map is opened first takes 

precedence for projection. 

� You can change the projection of a Map window containing a mix of raster and vector layers 

by setting the image processing reprojection preference to Always or Optimized. 

MapInfo Professional does not let you change the projection or image processing/reprojection of a 

map that displays raster images from a tile server, because this would create inaccuracies in your 

map. The projection system of the data may vary between tile servers. For this reason, we do not 

recommend displaying tiles from different tile servers in the same map unless the tile servers use 

the same projection system. 

When you are working with palette raster images (like a scanned map), an image might contain all 

256 colors. If you display this image in the Adjust Image Styles dialog box and clear the Transparent 

check box, the color “white” becomes transparent. If you do not want this display behavior, select the 

Transparent check box and choose another transparent color (using Select Color). 

Transferring Vector Map Coordinates Directly to a Raster Map 

To transfer the coordinates automatically from a vector map to a raster image, you need a vector 

map of the same image. Then, you display the vector map side by side with the Image Registration 

dialog box, which shows a preview of the raster image. Click a prominent feature in the vector map 

to determine its coordinates and transfer this control point to the Image Registration dialog box. 

To transfer a vector map’s coordinates to a raster image: 

1. On the File menu, click Open and Raster Image file format. 

2. Choose the raster image file and click Open. The Display/Register dialog box displays. 

3. Click Register. The Image Registration dialog box displays. A preview of the raster image 

appears in the lower half of the dialog box. 

4. Choose the Projection button to specify the image’s projection. If you do not set the projection, 

MapInfo Professional defaults to Longitude/Latitude or to the default table projection set in the 

Map Window Preferences. 

5. To add control points, click the Add button to add a control point entry to the Control Points list. 

6. Click the Pick from Map button and select a location in the Map window that matches a location 

in your raster image. MapInfo Professional updates the Map X and Map Y fields in the Edit 

Control Point dialog box with the new coordinates. Click OK to save this entry and close the 

dialog box. 

� When the Pick from Map button is disabled, you can select locations directly from the 

open map. If a map is not open, you can select another tool (like the Select tool) and use 

that tool instead of the Pick from Map functionality. 




7. Highlight the entry in the Control Points list and click the matching control point location in the 

image pane. The Edit Control Point dialog box displays showing the control point’s location in 

pixels in the Image X and Image Y fields. Click OK to save these entries. 

� Remember to type a meaningful description of this location in the Label field. 

8. Repeat this process until you have identified three or four non-linear points in the preview pane 

of the Image Registration dialog box. 

9. After you have defined all of the control points, click OK in the Image Registration dialog box. 

The raster image displays in the Map window under the vector layer. 

Use the Layer Control feature to position the raster map appropriately with your vector layers. 

• For details on converting degree/minutes/seconds coordinates to decimal degrees, see the Help 

System. 

Modifying Control Points for Raster Images 

If you must adjust the coordinates of a control point because the error is unacceptable, highlight the 

point in the Image Registration dialog box and choose another location for it in the Map window. To 

delete control points, click the point and choose the Delete button. 

Raster Image Display Options 

You can display more than one raster image in a window at a time. This is limited only by your 

computer’s memory. However, if you want to digitize from the raster image, it is best to use only one 

image in a Map window. This is because two raster images will probably have slightly different 

rotations. 

When using two raster images with different projections, keep in mind that MapInfo Professional will 

use the projection of the image that is opened first. This means that the second image is only 

positioned approximately. 

Color (Raster Image) 

Once you have displayed a raster image file in a Map window, you can make adjustments to the 

colors in the image. From the Table menu, select to Raster and click Adjust Image Styles to 

change the settings for that .tab file. From the Map menu, select Layer Control. Double-click the 

layer to display the Layer Properties dialog box. On the Layer Display tab, check the Style Override 

check box and click the Style button to adjust the raster style only in this Map window. 

The Adjust Image Styles dialog box lets you set the contrast and brightness of the image, set 

translucency, display color raster images in shades of gray, and make one color in the image 

transparent. 




Using the Adjust Image Styles dialog box does not modify the raster image file; instead, it changes 

the way MapInfo Professional displays the raster image file. If you change an image’s display style, 

MapInfo Professional records the new display style in the table file (for example PARCELS.TAB) or 

in the workspace for per layer styles, but MapInfo Professional does not alter the contents of the 

raster image file (PARCELS.GIF) in any way. 

If you change an image’s display style and choose OK, the new display style is applied immediately. 

It will also affect all Map windows in which the image is displayed if you select the Table menu, and 

point to Raster and click Adjust Image Styles. You do not need to choose Save to save the 

changes. 

Style Override for Raster Images 

MapInfo Professional provides the ability to change the display style for raster and grid images on a 

per-layer basis through the Layer Control window. The Style Override option for raster images 

works the same way as it does for other map layers. Just choose the Map menu, and click Layer 

Control, and select a raster layer in the Layer list. Click the Layer Properties button. The Layer 

Properties dialog box displays. On the Layer Display tab, select the Style Override check box and 

click the Style button. The Adjust Image Styles dialog box displays. You can change any of the 

raster image style settings. 

Zoom Layering for Raster Images 

Zoom layering for raster images controlled from preferences (in the Options menu, point to 

Preferences and click Map Windows and select Automatic Raster Zoom Layering). To change 

the zoom layering setting for a raster layer that you are currently working with, go to the Layer 

Properties dialog box (from the Map menu, select Layer Control, select the layer and click the 

Layer Properties button) and to either activate or turn off zoom layering. The setting is turned 

on by default. 


Limitations in Using Raster Images 


Printing/Exporting Translucent Raster Images 

Many of MapInfo Professional’s features cannot be applied to raster image tables. As a general rule, 

you cannot use MapInfo Professional to modify a raster image file. Specific limitations of raster 

tables include: 

• No Data Saved with Raster Images A raster table does not have columns, therefore, you cannot 

attach text or numeric data directly to a raster table, and you cannot perform queries, such as 

Find, on a raster table. You can, however, overlay a conventional (vector-based) MapInfo 

Professional table on top of the raster image, and attach data to the conventional table. 

• Map Projections and Reprojections with Raster Images: When a raster image file displays in a 

Map window, the file that is opened first determines the projection of the map. If two raster 

images in a Map window use different map projections, MapInfo Professional will use the 

projection of the map that is opened first. The Map window will redraw slowly when you overlay 

other map layers on top of a raster image. The map redraws slowly because MapInfo 

Professional is re-calculating map coordinates so that the vector map objects conform to the 

projection of the raster image. 

Adjusting the Contrast or Brightness of a Raster Image 

The Adjust Image Styles dialog box lets you control how a raster image appears but does not modify 

the raster image file; instead, it changes the way MapInfo Professional displays the raster image file. 

Every raster image table consists of two files: a raster image file (for example, PHOTO.GIF), and a 

table file (for example, PHOTO.TAB). When you change the image display styles, MapInfo 

Professional stores the new style settings by modifying the table file. MapInfo Professional does not 

modify the raster image file in any way. 

If you change the display options and choose OK, MapInfo Professional stores the new display 

styles immediately; you do not need to choose File > Save. 

• For instructions, see Adjusting the Contrast or Brightness of a Raster Image in the Help System. 

Adjusting the Translucency of a Raster Image 

You can adjust the percentage that layers show through raster images. A translucent image allows 

you to partially see through the image. Translucent images can be layered on top of other layers so 

that the lower layers are partially visible through the image. 

• For specific instructions, see Adjusting the Translucency of a Raster Image in the Help System. 


When printing or exporting a translucent raster image, take advantage of Advanced options. 

To print a translucent raster image: 


• On the File menu, click Print 

• On the File menu, click Save Window As 




2. Click Advanced and choose from the following settings according to your printing and exporting 

requirements. 

• Print/Export Border — Select to include the black rectangle border when exporting. 

• Internal Handling for Transparent Vector Fills and Symbols — Select to allow MapInfo 

Professional to perform special handling when exporting transparent fill patterns or 

transparent bitmap symbols. If unchecked, the process is handled by Windows. 

• Use ROP Method to Display Transparent Raster — Use this option to print the raster 

image as a metafile (EMF or WMF). Using the ROP method allows any underlying data to be 

rendered in the original form. Select this check box to allow the internal ROP (Raster Overlay 

by Pixel) to manage the transparent pixels for the raster. 

Since the ROP Method is largely a display method, not all printers and plotters can use it. We 

recommend that you experiment with this setting until you get the results you want when 

printing raster images. This check box is cleared by default. 

• Print/Export Raster in True Color When Possible — Select this check box to print your 24bit 

raster images in true color. Make sure your printer settings are greater than 256 colors. 

This check box is selected by default. 

3. When you have completed these selections and returned to the Print dialog box, click OK to 

begin printing. 


Putting Your Data on the 

Map 

As we saw in Data – Where MapInfo Professional Begins, you can convert 

your existing data to a format that MapInfo Professional can use to display it on 

a map. Now you’re getting somewhere! But how does MapInfo Professional 

know where to put the information on a map? That is the subject of this section 

of the User Guide. 


� How Do I Get My Data on the Map? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .336 

� Displaying your Data on a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .336 

� Geocoding – Assigning Coordinates to Records . . . . . . . . . . . .353 

� Putting Latitude/Longitude Coordinates on a Map . . . . . . . . . . .365 

� Displaying Your Data on the Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .367 

� Printing Your Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .368 

13

How Do I Get My Data on the Map? 

There are three steps to putting your organization’s data on a map: 

• Creating a MapInfo .tab file of your data 

• Geocoding or creating points for the data 

• Displaying your points on a map 

When Do I Geocode vs. Create Points? 

Chapter 13: Putting Your Data on the Map 

How Do I Get My Data on the Map? 

There are two processes that MapInfo Professional uses to identify and plot your data on a map. 

During Geocoding, MapInfo Professional reads data such as street data, postal code data, and other 

non-coordinate information from your database and matches it against street or postal code 

information on a MapInfo data table. 

During the Create Points process, MapInfo Professional reads X and Y coordinate data (such as 

longitude and latitude data from a Global Positioning System) and plots data using those 

coordinates. Use the appropriate process to the type of data you have collected. 

• For more about the geocoding process, see Geocoding – Assigning Coordinates to 

Records on page 353 

• For more about the create points process, see Putting Latitude/Longitude Coordinates on 

a Map on page 365. 

� If your data is in non-MapInfo format before you geocode or create points, you must convert 

it before using either of these processes. 

• For more specific instructions on creating points, see Putting Longitude/Latitude Coordinates on 

a Map in the Help System. 

Displaying your Data on a Map 

The first step in using your data in MapInfo Professional is to create that .tab file from your data. This 

process takes the data you have created (either a spreadsheet or database) and extracts the 

information into a .tab file that MapInfo Professional can use. Your data remains in tact as we go 

through this process. The process that MapInfo Professional uses depends upon the type of format 

your data is in. You can create a MapInfo table of the following data file format types: 

• Microsoft Excel (.XLS or .XLSX) 

• Microsoft Access (.MDB or .ACCDB) 

• d-Base (.DBF) 

• Lotus 123 (.WKS, WK1) 

• ASCII (.TXT) 

• Comma Delimited files (.CSV) 

• RDBMS (Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL with PostGIS) 


• XML (Web Map Service) 



� The process for creating a .tab file from ASCII data is called “registering” instead of creating 

because we are actually making a series of pointers to the ASCII data. The process is 

different but your resulting files behave the same way. 


• Displaying your Excel (.XLS or .XLSX) Data 

• Displaying your Access (.MDB or .ACCDB) Data 

• Displaying your Comma Delimited Data 

• Displaying your dBase Data 

• Displaying your Lotus 1-2-3 Data 

• Displaying your ESRI Shapefile Data 

• Displaying and Registering Your ASCII Data 

• Importing and Displaying GML File Data 

• Displaying Your Remote DBMS Data 

• Displaying and Importing Data from a Web Map Service 

Displaying your Excel (.XLS or .XLSX) Data 

You can create a .tab file from an Excel file that is up to 64K in size. 

To create a .tab file from your Excel (.XLS or .XLSX) data: 

1. In MapInfo Professional on the File menu, click Open to display the Open dialog box. 

2. In the Files of Type list select (.XLS or .XLSX), navigate to your data, and click Open. 

3. Select the worksheet you want in your MapInfo data table. Make sure that this data includes 

either postal codes or longitude/latitude coordinate values. 

The default data range for an Excel file is the entire worksheet. 

• If you select the Use Row Above Selected Range for Column Titles check box, the default 

data range begins at A2 (row 2). 

• If you clear the Use Row Above Selected Range for Column Titles check box, both the 

Named Range and Current Value fields revert to their previous values on the Entire 

Worksheet. 

4. Click OK to display the Set Field Properties dialog box. 

This dialog box allows you to reset the name, type and properties of any field (column) that you 

import from the Excel table. The top of the Set Field Properties window shows the Fields (column 

names) and Type (character, date, etc.) from the Excel spreadsheet. When you select one of 

these fields, the Field Information box entries at the bottom allow you to specify the field name, 

data type, number of characters (for character and decimal fields) or number of decimals (for 

decimal fields only). 




� If you click Cancel, MapInfo Professional cancels the import operation. 

5. Click OK to convert the data to a MapInfo table (.tab) format. Now that you have converted your 

data, you can plot your data; see the next section to continue. 


• Default Range Options When Importing MS Excel Files and Controlling Treatment of Imported 

Excel Tables in the Help System. 

• Controlling Treatment of Imported Excel Tables 

• Ensuring that Dates Display Correctly for Excel for Macintosh Tables 

• Controlling how MapInfo Professional Handles Mixed Data Type Columns 

• Putting Longitude/Latitude Coordinates on a Map 

Displaying your Access (.MDB or .ACCDB) Data 

To convert your Microsoft Access (.MDB or .ACCDB) data into a MapInfo Professional table: 

1. Choose File > Open. The Open dialog box displays. 

2. Choose Microsoft Access Database from the Files of type menu. The Access databases 

(.MDB or .ACCDB) for the specified location display. 

3. Choose an Access database to open. If security is turned on, you will be prompted to give user 

and password information to open the database. 

4. The Open Access Table dialog box displays the tables for the opened database. 

5. Choose an Access table or tables to open. The table or tables are opened in MapInfo 

Professional. (Please note that for a table name with a space such as Order Details can be 

saved in MapInfo Professional but subsequently will not be visible to MapInfo Professional.) 




After you open an Access table in MapInfo Professional for the first time, MapInfo Professional 

creates a definition for the table and gives it a .TAB extension. This enables you to it treat it like any 

other MapInfo Professional table. For example, to open this file you would now open it like any other 

MapInfo Professional table. 

� Even though the table has the .TAB extension in MapInfo Professional, your data is still in 

your original Access database table and is not a duplicate. 


• Microsoft Access Table Specifications 

• Creating an Access Table in MapInfo Professional 

• Saving a MapInfo Professional Table as an Access Table 

• Saving an Access Table as Another Access Table 

• Limitations of Working Directly with Access Tables 

• IFor more specific instructions on creating points, see Putting Longitude/Latitude Coordinates on 


Displaying your Comma Delimited Data 

You can create native .tab files for comma delimited data in MapInfo Professional. 

Opening Comma Delimited Files in MapInfo Professional 

You can export tables to comma delimited .csv text files. You can open .csv files from our File > 

Open dialog box as well. 

To open a comma delimited file: 

1. From the File menu, click Open to display the Open dialog box. 

2. From the Files of type box, select Comma delimited CSV (.csv). 

3. Navigate to the folder that contains the file you want to open and click it to select it. 

4. Click Open to display the Comma Delimited CSV Information dialog box. 

The Delimiter option buttons in this dialog box are disabled intentionally because commas are 

the only expected delimiters in this file format. 

5. Select the File Character Set for this file from the drop-down list and select the Use First Line 

for Column Titles check box if applicable. 

6. Click OK to open the file. 

Exporting to a Comma Delimited CSV Format 

When you export a file to a comma delimited (CSV) format, a Comma Delimited CSV Information 

dialog box displays. In this dialog box, you can select a new delimiter, choose the file character set, 

and choose to use the first column in the file for column headings. When you have made your 

selections, click OK. 




• For more specific instructions on creating points, see Putting Longitude/Latitude Coordinates on 


Displaying your dBase Data 

When you convert your data to a MapInfo Professional table, you do not in any way change the 

original data. MapInfo Professional simply creates a conversion table (.tab) of your data. 

To open your dBase (.DBF) data into a MapInfo Professional table: 


2. In the Files of Type list, select the format (.DBF), navigate to your data, and click Open. 

3. Select the appropriate character set for your MapInfo data table. Windows U.S. and Western 

Europe (“ANSI”) is the default option. 

4. Click OK to convert your selected data to a MapInfo table (.tab) format. 

5. On the File menu, click Save Copy As to make an editable copy of your table. Then, on the File 

menu, click Close Table and close the original table. Finally open the editable copy. 

• For more information, see Saving Data in DBF File Format in the Help System. 

Displaying your Lotus 1-2-3 Data 

To open your Lotus (.WKS, WK1) data into a MapInfo Professional: 


2. In the Files of Type list, select the format (.WK1,.WKS), navigate to your data, and click Open. 

3. Choose the worksheet you want to convert to a MapInfo data table. 

� If there are column headings above each column in this worksheet, select the Use Row 

Above Selected Range for Column Titles check box. Then, select Other from the dropdown 

box and specify the cell range of the data you want to include in the MapInfo 

Professional table. 

4. Click OK to convert your data to MapInfo Professional table format. 

Displaying your ESRI Shapefile Data 

One of the prominent graphical formats in our industry is the ESRI shapefile. 

To open a shapefile in MapInfo Professional: 


2. Select ESRI shapefile in the Files of type drop-down list. 

3. Navigate to the file’s directory and click it to open it. 




4. Click Open to display the Please specify a TAB filename file. This dialog box saves the 

shapefile into a format that MapInfo Professional can read. The file has the same name as the 

file you selected but has a .tab extension. 

5. Click Save to display the Shapefile Information dialog box. 

6. Select the character set appropriate for this file from the File Character Set drop-down list.The 

default option is Windows U.S. & Western Europe (ANSI), but make your selection based on 

your local settings. 

7. Select the appropriate projection for this file. The Projection field shows the following: 

• If the Shapefile’s native projection is found and it matches an entry in the MAPINFOW.PRJ 

file, the projection’s name displays in the Projection field. 

• If a native projection is found but it is not in the MAPINFOW.PRJ file, a message displays in 

this field: Not found in projection file and the name of the native projection displays. 

• If a native projection is not found, the name of the currently selected table projection 

preference displays in this field. 

Continue with one of the following actions: 

• If the application does not detect the Shapefile’s native projection, or there is no matching 

supported projection in the MAPINFOW.PRJ file, click Projection to select one and click OK. 

• If the application detects a supported projection, MapInfo Professional selects the Use 

Projection in Source File radio button and the Projection button is disabled. Do one of the 

following: 

- To use the detected projection, leave Use Projection in Source file selected and continue 

to the next step. 

- To choose a new projection, click Choose Projection and click the Projection button to 

select a supported projection. In the Choose Projection dialog box, the source projection is 

highlighted. Select the projection you want and click OK. 

� If you substitute the Shapefile’s native projection with a new one, the application does 

not reproject the Shapefile’s objects and data using the new projection. Substituting 

the Shapefile’s projection in this way may produce unexpected results. 




8. Select the style and cache options for this file. 

• Style – Select any line or region style overrides that are necessary for this image by clicking 

the Style button. When you select this option, the appropriate style options dialog box 

displays. 

• Save Object Cache – Select this check box to save the *.MAP file to hard drive. If you 

choose not to save the object cache, you will have to recreate the *.MAP file the next time 

you open the shapefile file. However, if you are going to save the shapefile as a *.tab file, you 

do not have to select the check box. 

9. Click OK to create the .tab file and display the Shapefile. 

� If after you open the shapefile in MapInfo Professional, you edit the file in ESRI ArcView and 

save the file, the contents of the *.MAP and *.DAT files are recreated to retain these edits 

even if you selected Save Object Cache before. 

For more information, see Working with Shapefiles Containing M and Z Values in the Help System. 

Registering and Displaying your ASCII Data 

When you are working with ASCII data in MapInfo Professional, you don’t actually create the table 

as you would in the other file formats we have discussed. MapInfo Professional registers your ASCII 

table by creating a MapInfo (.tab) file that points to the fields in the original file. 

� Registering your data using MapInfo does not change the original data in any way. 

If your delimited ASCII file has an extension other than .TXT (such as .ASC, .CSV, or .DAT, etc.), 

rename a copy of the file to .TXT before you begin. 

To register your ASCII (.TXT) data: 

1. Open the data file using Wordpad/Notepad (on the Start menu, point to Programs and click 

Accessories) or another text editor. See whether you have column headings and what delimiter 

(character that separates each piece of data from the next) is used in the data file. 

2. In MapInfo Professional, open File menu and click Open to display the Open dialog box. 




3. In the Files of Type list, select the format (.TXT), navigate to your data, and click Open. 

4. Specify a tab delimiter or type the other delimiter in the field provided. 

5. Choose the character set your file is using from the File Character Set drop-down list. 

Select the Use First Line for Column Titles check box if you have column headings. 

6. Click OK to register your data in MapInfo Professional. 

7. On the File menu, click Save Copy As to make an editable copy of your table. Then, on the File 

menu, click Close Table and close the original table. Finally open the editable copy. You can 

only read information from these files. 

• For more information, see Working With Spreadsheets and Editing Excel and Lotus 

Spreadsheets in the Help System. 

Opening MapInfo Professional Grid Files 

To open MapInfo Professional Grid Files: 

1. Choose File > Open to display the Open Table dialog box. 

2. Choose Grid Image (*.grd, *.mig), from the Files of Type list box. 

3. Click the file you want to open and click the Open button. 

� There are grid files in the introductory data provided on the MapInfo Professional data 

DVD. 

Importing Graphic Files 

To import a graphic file: 

1. Choose Table > Import to display the Import File dialog box. Specify the location, name, and 

format of the file you want to import. 

2. Click Import to display the Import into Table dialog box. 

3. Specify the name and new table format for the table you are creating. 

4. Click Save. The file is imported into the file you named with the specified format. 


Importing and Displaying GML File Data 



You can import OSGB MasterMap GML Files into MapInfo Professional. Each layer in the GML file 

is imported into a separate .TAB file. We provide support for some of the Topography features 

(OSGB version 2.0), Topographic Area, Lines and Points, Cartographic Symbols and Boundary 

Lines. Currently, we maintain support for these features and add support for Cartographic Text and 

Departed Features. 

Currently, we support the OSGB recommended styles by mapping the style definitions to existing 

MapInfo Professional styles. Where it is not possible to render complicated fill patterns, we use the 

simple dot screen that the OSGB recommended to us. You cannot change the OSGB style mapping 

to MapInfo styles. 

• For more information, see Importing and Displaying GML File Data in the Help System. 

Importing and Displaying GML 2.1 Files 

You can import GML 2.1 files into MapInfo Professional directly. To import successfully, the XML 

must contain a reference to a valid schema that MapInfo Professional can read. For example, the 

schema location could be a path relative to the XML file: 

xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.mapinfo.com/wfs_XX .\mi_usa.xsd" 

Or, it could be a URI: 

xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.lm.se/xml/namespace/abc 

http://www2.xxx.se/xml/scheman/abc.xsd" 

• For more specific instructions, see Importing and Displaying GML 2.1 Files in the Help System. 

Using Universal Data Directly 

You can open AutoCAD®, Microstation Design®, ESRI ArcSDE®, Personal Geodatabase® and 

Google Earth KML® data directly to avoid having to translate it separately and work with copies of 

the data in .tab format. This functionality ensures that you will have more flexibility when working 

with your data. 

Pitney Bowes Software Inc. and Safe Software’s, a third-party partner, have worked together to 

provide this direct way to open and display universal data directly in MapInfo Professional. This 

Feature Manipulation Engine (FME) opens a variety of Universal Data formats including: 

• ESRI ArcSDE 

• ESRI Personal Geodatabase (*.MDB) 

• AutoCAD DWG/DXF 

• Microstation Design (*.DGN) 

• ESRI ArcInfo Export (*.E00) 

• USGS Spatial Data Transfer Standard (*.CATD.DDF) 

• VPF NIMA/NGA (*.FT) 

• Google Earth KML 




Using the Open Universal Data feature of MapInfo Professional, you can open different types of data 

stored in a variety of locations and: 

• Combine data from multiple sources into a single run and join data from incompatible 

systems 

• Extend the use of legacy systems 

• Exchange data between CAD-based systems and GIS systems 

• Perform quality assurance tests on spatial data 

Additionally, if you have the FME Suite, which is available from Safe Software, you can use this 

feature to open almost 150 formats within MapInfo Professional. For more information about 

extending MapInfo Professional in this way, see Extending MapInfo Professional with FME Suite in 

the Help System. This feature is based on the latest FME release. 

Opening Universal Data Directly 

The process for opening this data is the same regardless of the format. 

To open the universal data directly: 

1. Choose File > Open Universal Data to display the Specify Input Data Source dialog box. 

Use this dialog box to select the data you want to open and specify the name of the 

dataset you want to display. 

Some formats are file-based and for others you need to specify a data source. Here, a dataset is 

defined as a set of data in the same format. Some data contains the coordinate system 

information in it and others do not. You may need to specify the coordinate system projection for 

the data you are attempting to open. 

2. Beside the Format drop-down list, click the Ellipsis button to specify the data format you 

want to open. The Formats Gallery displays. 




From this dialog box you can select a format and import frequently used formats. 

� Personal Geodatabase and ArcSDE always display in the Formats Gallery but they may 

be grayed out if you do not have the appropriate client DLL or applications installed. See 

Setting the ArcSDE Data Options and Setting the ESRI Personal Geodatabase Data 

Options in the Help System for these details. 

To obtain a free trial of the FME Suite and add more formats to this list, click More Formats. 

Highlight a format in this list and click OK to return to the Specify Input Data Source dialog box. 

3. Click the Ellipsis button beside the Dataset field to select the data you want to open. 

To open a folder of data, click the + button beside the Ellipsis button. The Select Source Files 





If you select a folder in this dialog box, MapInfo Professional opens all of the data of the specified 

format it finds in this folder. If you select the Subfolders check box, MapInfo Professional also 

opens all of the data with the specified format in the subfolders as well. This data is merged 

together when you open it. To add: 

Directory-Based Formats: Click Add Folder to browse for a specific directory name. Check the 

Subfolders box to include all subfolders below that directory. Click OK. The new data appends 

to the original data. 

File-Based Formats: You can type directly in the Folder field, and use wildcards to include all 

files of a specific format. 

For example: 

*.dgn 

merges all the .dgn files on your C drive. Check Identical Schemas if the files have the same 

schema. 

• Click Add Files to select individual files 

• Ctrl+Left-click to select multiple files 

• Click Remove to delete single or multiple files based on your selection 

Click OK. The new data appends to the original data. The Specify Data Input Source dialog box 

redisplays. 

SQL Server Support in 10.5 

The default support for SQL server has been removed and in its place support for the KML file has 

been added. If you do not have the full version of FME and you open any table created using the 

SQL Server, you will get an error message in MapInfo Professional 10.5. 

If you have full version of FME installed then tables using the SQL server will open without any 

issue. 

• For more information, see Working with the FME Suite in the Help System. 

1. If the coordinate system for the data you selected is unknown, you need to specify it in the 

Coordinate System field. Click the Ellipsis button beside the field to select the appropriate 




projection and click OK. If you do not specify the coordinate system here, you will be prompted 

later. 

For more information, see Coordinate System Behavior and Universal Data in the Help System. 

2. Click Settings to display the settings options for this file type. The options in these dialog boxes 

depend on the format you selected. To learn more about these settings, see the these topics in 

the Help System: 

• Setting the AutoCAD Options 

• Setting the ArcInfo Export File Options 

• Setting the ArcSDE Data Options 

• Setting the ESRI Personal Geodatabase Data Options 

• Setting the Microstation Design File Options 

• Setting the Vector Product Format Coverage Settings 

• Setting the Google Earth KML Settings 

It is possible that a style option will not show. If it's the case it means that the layer(s) in question 

does (do) not have any geometry objects (only attributes). 

3. When you have completed your settings, click OK to open the data you selected. 

If you did not specify the coordinate system in step 1 and the coordinate system is unknown, the 

Choose Projection dialog box displays, allowing you to select the projection for the data you are 

opening. Select the appropriate projection for the data and click OK. The system defaults to your 

Table Projection setting in the Map Window Preference if you do not select a projection here. 

The Select Layers dialog box displays. 

MapInfo Professional opens all layers with the Open check box selected. Use this box 

to specify the layers to open and then specify the layer display options. 

To change the name of the layer, click it, type a new name in the File Name field and click 

Apply. Use the Check All and Uncheck All buttons to select or deselect the Open check box 

for all of the layers. Click the Back button to return to the Specify Input Data Source dialog box. 




4. Now you are ready to select the layers to which you will apply the new display options. All layers 

you select together will share the same display characteristics. 

• To change the display options of all layers, click the layer name of the first layer, press the 

Shift key, and click the layer name of the last layer 

• To change the display options of some layers, click the layer name of the first layer, press the 

Ctrl key, and click the other layers that require the same change 

• To change the display options of one layer, click the layer name of the layer 

5. Once you have selected the layer(s), use the display buttons to make the changes you require. If 

the layer(s) you are changing contain: 

• Point data, click the Symbol Style button to change the symbol options 

• Line data, click the Line Style button to change the line options 

• Region data, click the Region Style button to change the background options 

• Text data, click the Text Style button to change the text options 

� If you want to open maps based on data that is thematically related, assign the same 

styles to the layers that contain that information. 

6. Once you have completed your layer display options, consider the options that affect the whole 

data source. You can select from these options: 

• Use color information from data 

• Do not open empty layers 

7. Use the Directory field to specify the path to which you want to save the resulting data. Click the 

Ellipsis button beside the field to navigate to the appropriate directory. 

8. Select the viewing options from the Preferred View drop-down box, as you would when opening 

any other data. 

9. When you have completed your selections, click OK to open the data according to the settings 

you have specified. A status bar displays to indicate the progress and the data displays. 

� For any terminology that might not be familiar to you, review the FME Suite Help System. 

Working with the FME Suite 

If you install the FME Suite from Safe Software, you can open even more formats from within 

MapInfo Professional. To extend MapInfo Professional to use these additional formats, use the FME 

Administrator tool that ships with the FME Suite. There are a couple of caveats to keep in mind: 

• Make sure that the version of the FME Suite that you are using is the same version or later than 

that which has been integrated with MapInfo Professional. This means you must have FME Suite 

2008 or later. This works on a build number basis, so even a minor update to MapInfo 

Professional or FME Suite could result in discrepancies between the products and could prevent 

you from opening particular formats. 




• Pitney Bowes Software Inc. localizes the dialog boxes of the FME product that we use in 

MapInfo Professional. However, when you extend MapInfo Professional with the FME Suite, this 

functionality is effectively run from the FME Suite, using the FME Suite dialog boxes. 

For example, if you are running the Japanese version of MapInfo Professional and you install the 

English version of the FME Suite, the dialog boxes that display for this feature will be in English. 

If you revert to the MapInfo Professional implementation of this feature, the translated dialog 

boxes will display in Japanese. 

� Raster/grid formats and MapInfo TAB/MIF formats are not available when you extend 

MapInfo Professional with the FME Suite. 

• For more information see Extending MapInfo Professional with FME Suite in the Help System. 

Understanding MapInfo Professional’s Use of the Topography Layer 

OSGB MasterMap’s Topographic Layer contains nine themes including roads, tracks and paths, 

buildings, landforms, water, height, heritage, structures, and administrative boundaries. You can 

import these themes as TopographicArea, LandformArea, TopographicLine, TopograpicPoint, 

CartographicText, CartographicSymbols, BoundaryLines, and DepartedFeatures. The 

TopographicArea feature type contains two 'complexes', Topography and Landform, which contain 

different polygons of information. The Landform polygons overlap the Topography polygons (which 

represent land features like slopes and cliffs). 

We split the TopographicArea feature type output into two layers so it is possible to save them in 

different tables. The TopographicArea table contains only output whose areas defined in the OSGB 

user guide as being part of the Topography complex or Structuring Layer. There is a feature type in 

the GML Import dialog box called LandformArea, which allows the creation of the LandformArea 

table. See Importing and Displaying GML File Data on page 344 for a clearer picture of this 

process in action. 

Viewing a List of Open Tables 

You can view a list of open tables and can perform operations on the open tables in the Table List 

window. 

To access the Table List, do one of the following: 

• Click the Table List tool in the Main toolbar. 

• On the Table menu, click Table List. 

The Table List window displays. Use the Table List to manage open tables and their attributes. 


The Table List has the following features: 



• Modeless, so that you can open it and leave it open for the duration of your session. (Modeless 

windows do not have OK or Cancel buttons.) 

• Dockable to any of the four sides of the MapInfo Professional window: top, left, bottom, and 

right. The Layer Control window and Table List Window can also share the same space. 

• Drag and drop enabled, so that you can select tables and drag and drop them to a blank area to 

open them in a new Mapper window. When dropping tables on to an existing Mapper window, 

MapInfo Professional adds them to the Mapper window as new layers. 

• Sorting enabled, to sort tables based on ascending order of table alias (name), descending 

order of table alias, and recently opened. Sorting criteria persist across different MapInfo 

Professional sessions. 

• Multi-Selection enabled, to select multiple tables using the Ctrl or Shift keys. 

• Context Menu enabled, so that when you right-click on table aliases (names) a pop-up menu 

displays and you can perform the desired operations. 

• Searching enabled, you can search for a table name in the Table List Window by typing 

characters in a Search text box. The Table List Window list refreshes itself to show only those 

tables that contain the search characters. 

For information about how to work with the Table List, see Working with Tables in the Table List 

on page 45. 

Displaying Data Details using the Statistics Window 

The Statistics window displays the details of a selected data record. This information must exist in 

the .TAB file’s metadata to display in the Statistics window. As the selection changes, the data is retallied, 

and the statistics window is updated automatically. 


To see the details of a data record: 

1. Open a .TAB file with statistical data in it. 

2. Select a geographical object in the Map window. 


• Select Options > Show Statistics Window 

• Click the Statistics tool . 



To copy the contents of the Statistics window to the clipboard, press and hold the Ctrl key and press 

C. Go to the application you want to paste the Statistics data to and do one of the following: 

• Right-click to display the shortcut men, click Paste. 

• Hold down the Ctrl key and press Insert. 

You cannot select particular contents of the Statistics window. 

When you want statistics for an entire table, use Query > Select All to select all records in a table. 

Figure: Statistics Window 

Displaying Your Remote DBMS Data 

The process for displaying spatialized data from Oracle, SQL Server, or PostGIS is different from the 

tables we have discussed so far. For more information about accessing remote data, see 

Understanding Remote Tables and Databases on page 129. 



Geocoding – Assigning Coordinates to Records 

Displaying and Importing Data from a Web Map Service 

A Web Map Service (WMS) is a technology that gives you a source for data over your Intranet or 

over the Internet. This innovation is based on a specification from the Open GIS Consortium (OGC) 

and allows you to use raster map images from servers that also comply with the specification. You 

must specify the coordinate system within your data request to ensure that the images you retrieve 

“sync up” or register with your other map data. 

This specification supports transparent pixel definition for image formats as well. This allows you to 

use the images you retrieve as overlays and not solely as the bottom layer of your map. 

WMS data may not exist for the geography you are looking for. Further, the data that is provided is 

determined by the WMS server. 

� You must have a working Internet connection to retrieve or use WMS data. 

• For instructions on retrieving and displaying data from a Web Map Service, see Retrieving Map 

Data from Web Map Services in the Help System. 


To display your data on a map, you must first assign X and Y coordinates to each record. One way 

that MapInfo Professional assigns these coordinates is by matching geographic information in your 

database table to geographic information in another table (referred to as a search table) that already 

has X and Y coordinates associated with it. 

For example, you want to assign X and Y coordinates to a customer record whose address is 127 

Winston Ave. MapInfo Professional reads that address and looks for a matching address in the 

search table, such as a StreetPro table. (This search table already has X and Y coordinates 

associated with its records.) 

When MapInfo Professional matches 127 Winston Ave in your table to 127 Winston Ave in the 

search table, it assigns the corresponding X and Y coordinates to your record. The geocoded point 

becomes part of your database. You can then view these points by displaying your table in a Map 

window. 


What Do I Need to Know Before Geocoding? 



It is important to know your data and what you want to use it for before you select a method of 

geocoding. Ask yourself these questions: 

What kind of geographic information do I have in my database? 

Do you have street addresses, towns, cities, postal codes, states, countries? Do you have 

potentially ambiguous information? For example, if you have a database of customer street 

addresses, will you have 125 Main Street in Smithtown and a 125 Main Street in Nassau? If so, you 

may have to refine your search using town boundaries or postal codes. 

What kind of maps do I have to work with? 

You will need computerized maps that are at the level of detail that match your data. For example, if 

you want to geocode a database of customers in specific counties by street address, you will need 

maps of the desired counties that go to street level. A map of the United States that only goes to a 

county level would not work for you. You can purchase the appropriate maps for your geocoding 

application from MapInfo Professional or your reseller. 

How geographically accurate does the placement of my data have to be? 

Taking into account the first two questions, you must decide how accurate the geocoding must be. If 

you are trying to pinpoint the locations of cable wires, crime scenes, or fire hydrants, a high degree 

of accuracy is needed. In this case, you should geocode your data to street level. 

If, however, you are going to use your data to thematically shade postal code boundaries, town 

boundaries, county boundaries, state boundaries, or country boundaries, you may not need a high 

degree of accuracy. 




In this case, geocoding against boundary files such as USZIPBDY.TAB, which we provide, would be 

sufficient for your needs. Since this file does not include point postal codes (postal codes assigned 

to a single building or company), the hit rate may not be as good as when you geocode by street. 

Understanding the Geocoding Process 

To assign X and Y coordinates to the records in your table, choose Geocode from the Table menu. 

MapInfo Professional displays the Geocode dialog box, where you enter the following information: 

• The name of your table for which you want to assign X and Y coordinates. 

• The column in your table that contains the geographic information that will be used for matching. 

• The name of the search table containing the geographic information that will be used for 

matching. 

• The search table column containing the geographic information for matching: 

The dialog box also offers you the option of geocoding your data in two modes: automatically or 

interactively. When you geocode a table automatically, MapInfo Professional geocodes exact 

matches only and ignores all other records. It is the faster method, since MapInfo Professional 

requires no user interaction once the geocoding process begins. When you geocode a table 

interactively, MapInfo Professional pauses when it fails to match a record and lets you select from a 

list of close matches. 

� We recommend that you geocode your table automatically first and then go back and 

geocode interactively to match the remaining records. 

Not Getting Geocoding? Try this Example... 

The objective of geocoding is to place data from your database accurately on a map. Let us call your 

data the source table. You can think of the geographical coordinates on a map as a target table. 

To geocode a record: 

• MapInfo has to match an address in the source table with a location on the target table 

Most of the problems in geocoding occur in trying to take the address data in the source file and 

match it to addresses in the target tables. 




For more about the automatic and interactive geocoding modes, see Modes of Geocoding on 

page 356. 

Modes of Geocoding 

MapInfo Professional has two geocoding modes: automatic and interactive. The process of 

matching target addresses with source addresses is the same in both modes. 

Automatic mode matches addresses based on the choices in the Geocode dialog box. 

When Geocoding is in automatic mode, only exact matches are geocoded. When some of your data 

fails to match exactly (due, perhaps, to typographical errors), you need to geocode in Interactive 

mode to match the near misses by hand. It is generally best to do two passes through your table, 

with the first pass set on Automatic and the second pass set on Interactive. This approach takes less 

processing time. 

• For instructions on geocoding in automatic mode, see Geocoding Automatically in the Help 

System. 

Interactive mode stops at each address that does not meet the geocode parameters and permits 

you to assist in the matching process. When you geocode interactively, you are not changing the 

data. You are merely redirecting MapInfo Professional to look for different information. 

• For more information, see Geocoding Interactively in the Help System. 

In most cases, the best geocoding strategy is to geocode in automatic mode and then geocode in 

interactive mode to deal with the records MapInfo Professional was unable to handle automatically. 

Manual mode. Automatic and interactive geocoding work well for databases with “clean” data. 

Sometimes, however, you know where a point should be on the map, but the location data does not 

allow for a match. Manual geocoding is the process of placing your data records on the map by 

clicking its location on the map. This method works best when you have a small table which contains 

data that you are very familiar with. 

• For more information, see Geocoding Manually in the Help System. 

Methods of Geocoding 

In addition to geocoding automatically and manually, you have choices in how precise you want the 

geocoded record to be. Let’s look at the variety of ways you can geocode your table. 

Geocoding by Address 

Street addresses typically consist of two or three components: 

• Street number 

• Street name 

• Apartment, Suite, Floor, Room number or some other piece of information. Many addresses do 

not have this component 

MapInfo Professional has one procedure for dealing with the street number and another procedure 

for dealing with the street name. MapInfo Professional deals with the third component, if present, as 

though it were a part of the street name. 




When you geocode your table with street addresses, MapInfo Professional matches the addresses 

in your table to the street names and address ranges in a street table, such as StreetPro (Pitney 

Bowes Software Inc.’s premier streets data product) and assigns X and Y coordinates to your 

records. When you display your records, MapInfo Professional will spot the record at the location of 

the record’s address. MapInfo Professional places the record on the proper side of the street, offsets 

it from the side of the street to the specified distance, and insets it from the end of the street the 

specified percentage of the line. The Options dialog box controls these parameters. For more about 

setting the street offset in the Options dialog box, see Street Offset in the Help System. 

Geocoding by Boundary 

In computer mapping, the term boundary is used to designate enclosed regions or areas such as 

countries, cities, and postal codes. When you geocode your table with boundaries, MapInfo 

Professional matches the boundary name in your table with the boundary name in the search table. 

MapInfo Professional assigns the boundary centroid X and Y coordinates to your data records. The 

centroid of a boundary is its approximate center point. 

For example, you have a table of wholesale outlet stores. You want to assign X and Y coordinates to 

each record according to county. MapInfo Professional reads the county name from your table, 

matches it with the county name in the search table, and assigns the county centroid coordinates to 

each of your records. The outlet locations will display at the county centroid in a Map window. 

Geocoding by US_ZIPS.tab (Postal Code Centroid File) 

US_ZIPS.tab is a point file that is included with the base MapInfo Professional package. The file 

consists of postal code centroid points for every postal code in the United States. This file can be 

used to geocode any database that includes postal code information. This file includes postal codes 

that are assigned to individual buildings or companies. 

You can use any of the above methods to geocode your records, or you can use a combination of 

address and boundary geocoding to increase the potential for a successful match. 

Geocoding by Server 

If you have access to a geocoding server such as MapMarker or Envinsa Server, you can geocode 

using a more extensive data set. 

Refining Your Geocoding Search 

When geocoding, you might refer to objects whose names are used for other objects that do not 

interest you (for example, a city name that is common to two or more states). To eliminate this 

problem, refine your search by selecting another column (from, typically, another table). To further 

refine the search, specify the state for each city, rather than just the city name. 

If your area of interest isn't unique enough for MapInfo Professional to automatically determine the 

position or location, you will need to refine your geocode search by specifying a particular boundary 

that contains your area of interest. This will provide MapInfo Professional with geographic locations 

on where to position your points. 


Finding an Exact Street Match 



When MapInfo Professional geocodes, it attempts to find an exact match between source and target 

street names. That means that the addresses must be the same, character for character. However, 

matching is not case sensitive; upper and lower case letters are successfully matched with one 

another. MapInfo Professional does not get an exact match in many cases and uses a file of 

abbreviation equivalences to improve its “hit rate”. Once you understand the various ways in which a 

match can fail, you are in a better position to understand what you can do to improve things. 

The next table illustrates exact matching. The first column contains a street name from a target table 

and the second column contains the corresponding street name from a source table. The third 

column says why they do not match. The fourth column indicates whether the particular problem is 

one which can be corrected through using the abbreviation file. This table assumes that the 

addresses are the contents of a single column in a table. While the street number would often be in 

the same column, we don’t indicate street numbers here because they are handled differently than 

street names. 

Target Address 

Source 

Address Comment 

LaSal St LaSalle St “LaSal” is the wrong spelling. No 

La Salle St LaSalle St “La Salle” is the wrong spelling. No 

LaSalle Ave LaSalle St “Ave” does not match “St”. No 

LaSalle Street LaSalle St “Street” does not match “St”. Yes 

LaSalle Ave LaSalle Av “Ave” does not match “Av”. Yes 

LaSalle St. LaSalle St The target address has a period after 

“St”. That period is not in the source 

and causes the match to fail. 

LaSalle LaSalle St “St” is missing from target. No 

LaSalle St LaSalle Target has “St” and source does not. No 

LaSalle St North LaSalle St Target has “North,” which is not in 

source. 

LaSalle St North LaSalle St N Target has “North” instead of “N”. Yes 

North LaSalle St N LaSalle St Target has “North” instead of “N”. Yes 

North LaSalle St LaSalle St Target has “North,” which is not in 

source. 

Correctable 

with 

Abbreviation 

File? 


Yes 

No 

No

Target Address 



MapInfo Professional’s matching process is not case-sensitive; it does not care whether a letter is 

upper case or lower case. This means that MapInfo Professional treats the following as the same: 

Main, MAIN, main, maIN. 

MapInfo Professional has a file called the Abbreviations File (MAPINFOW.ABB), which you can use 

to record acceptable alternate spellings for abbreviations. For example Av for Ave. or BL for Blvd. 

etc. Using this file increases your hit rate because there are more acceptable spellings for the same 

abbreviations. 

• For more information, see Solving Problems with Abbreviations and Substitutions in the Help 

System. 

Placing Geocoded Points 

When you are geocoding to street level (by address), you can specify certain aspects of the resulting 

points’ position in relationship to the street. You can specify the offset of the point from the side of 

the street, and the inset of the point from the end of the street. 

• For more information, see Street Offset in the Help System. 

Street Inset 

Source 

Address Comment 

LaSalle St Apt 3 LaSalle St Target has an apartment number which 

does not match anything in the source. 

Tenth St 10th St “Tenth” and “10th” do not match. Yes 

10th Av Tenth Av “10th” and “Tenth” do not match. Yes 

Saint John’s Lane St John’s Lane “Saint” and “St” do not match. Yes 

Correctable 

with 

Abbreviation 

File? 

The street inset is the distance a geocoded point is set from the end of the street. You can specify a 

distance, or an inset can be a percentage of the length of the street. To avoid skewing the position of 

inset points, MapInfo Professional performs a proportional calculation that insets the points located 

at either end of the street the specified percentage or distance, but that decreases the inset as point 

locations approach the center. Points located at the center of the street remain in their original 

position. 

• For more information, see Street Inset and Controlling How Much to Inset and Offset a Point 

when Geocoding in the Help System. 


Yes

Matching Street Names 



MapInfo Professional begins by comparing the street address in the target table with the street 

addresses in the source table. When it finds an exact match, it may be finished or it may have to 

deal with region information, such as town, county, or postal code area. 

When MapInfo Professional cannot match the street name for a particular row, it applies the 

abbreviation file to the target address. This file consists of pairs of items, such as “STREET ST” and 

“AVE AV”. When MapInfo Professional finds “STREET” in a target address, it changes it into “ST”; 

similarly it changes “AVE” to “AV”. MapInfo Professional doesn’t actually change your data in the 

target table. It substitutes abbreviations only for the purpose of making matches. The substitution is 

only effective during the matching process. The address in your table remains the same. It does not 

write the correct address form back to your table. 

Once MapInfo Professional has made an abbreviation substitution it attempts to match the resulting 

street name against the street names in the source table. When it fails to find an exact match at this 

point it: 

• In Automatic mode, it moves to the next row 

• In Interactive mode, it presents you with the closest matches and you pick the best match. 

MapInfo Professional then moves on to the next row. 

At this point MapInfo Professional will have done the best it can at identifying street names. The next 

step is to deal with address numbers for those addresses where it has matched a name. 

Matching Address Numbers 

Given that MapInfo Professional has identified a street, it has to deal with street numbers. MapInfo 

Professional stores address ranges with each street segment. MapInfo Professional takes the street 

number from the target address and compares it to the ranges for each segment in the source table. 

For example, assume that we are trying to match “343 LaSalle St”. MapInfo stores the beginning 

and ending address for each segment, differentiating between left and right sides of the street, as 

follows: 

Name FromLeft ToLeft FromRight ToRight 

LaSalle St 269 331 268 330 

LaSalle St 333 375 332 374 

LaSalle St 377 401 376 400 

To match “343 LaSalle St” MapInfo Professional would scan the address ranges until it finds the one 

where “343” goes. Since 343 is between 333 and 375, the applications locates this address on that 

street segment (the middle one in the table). Once MapInfo Professional has matched an address 

number to a street segment it moves to the next row. When it fails to match a target street number to 

an address range on the appropriate street it: 

• In Automatic mode, it moves to the next row 




• In Interactive mode, it presents you with the closest matches and you pick the best match. 

MapInfo Professional then moves on to the next row. 

At this point MapInfo Professional has done the best it can at locating address numbers. Note that 

one of the options (on the Geocode Options dialog box) is to automatically pick the closest address 

range in cases where there is no exact match—Use The Closest Address Number. For example, 

you might have “412” as an address number, but no range which includes that number. However, 

there is a range which goes from 346 to 400. Since that is the range closest to 412, that is where 

MapInfo Professional will geocode 412 if you have chosen this particular option. The next step is to 

deal with addresses which have been located on more than one street. 

Matching to Region 

When MapInfo Professional is geocoding it checks to see how many occurrences of the target 

address exist. If there is more than one, MapInfo Professional must decide which source address to 

use. If the user’s target table has a column with region data, MapInfo Professional can refine 

geocoding within a boundary. 

For example, assume that you are geocoding a database of records in Cook county, Illinois. The 

address in the database reads 200 Washington St. Within the county of Cook, there are eight towns. 

Four of these towns have a Washington St. Three of the four have a 200 Washington St. MapInfo 

Professional must now place the target address in the appropriate town. MapInfo Professional uses 

region information to do this. MapInfo Professional now matches a region designation for the target 

address against the region designator for the source addresses. 

When you originally set up your geocoding operation, you had an opportunity to specify a region 

(boundary) to use in refining your geocoding operation. This dialog box displays when you choose 

Refine Search with Table and using Boundary Name Column. 

If you specified a postal code table you enter the postal code and MapInfo Professional returns 

possible matches. 




You could use any one of several different region types, including county name, town name, and 

postal code. Since almost all addresses contain postal codes, this is the most reliable way to refine 

your search. When you set MapInfo Professional to use postal codes to refine its address matching, 

MapInfo Professional will match the postal code of the target address against the postal code of the 

various matching source addresses. When it finds the correct match, it is finished with the geocoding 

process. MapInfo Professional can now get coordinate information from the source table and use it 

to place a point object into the target table. 

However, once MapInfo Professional has completed this process, many addresses may be 

unmatched. You can match each one of them individually by geocoding in interactive mode. 

However, if you are working with a large database, you want to do as little of this as possible. There 

are other ways of improving MapInfo Professional’s geocoding performance. 

In the Geocode Options dialog box, you can specify that MapInfo Professional automatically pick a 

different boundary, providing there is only one, from the one you specify (Use A Match Found In A 

Different Boundary). You might have had MapInfo Professional geocode addresses to Northtown. 

One particular address, “223 Locust Ct.” is not in Northtown, but it is in Westville, and no place else. 

In this case, MapInfo Professional would geocode “223 Locust Ct.” to Westville. However, if MapInfo 

Professional had found a “223 Locust Ct.” in Westville and another one in Center Valley, it would not 

geocode the address to either town. It would leave “223 Locust Ct.” ungeocoded. 

For more information, see After Geocoding in the Help System. This section contains the following 

topics: 

• Finding and Examining Ungeocoded Records 

• Extracting Longitude and Latitude from a Geocoded Table 

• Extracting Longitude and Latitude into a New Table 

• Extracting Longitude and Latitude into the Original Table 

• Extracting a Table in a Projection Other than Longitude/Latitude 

Selecting Records Not Geocoded 

Your geocoded table may have records that did not geocode, or you may have added new data to 

your table that have yet to be geocoded. There is a simple selection that can be performed to get a 

Browser list of the records not geocoded. 

1. Open your table if it is not open already, and on the Query menu, click Select. 

2. Fill in the Select dialog box. The expression used is “NOT OBJ.” This selects all of the records 

that are not objects, for example, not geocoded. Click OK. 


Locating Newly Geocoded Points 



One of the most satisfying results of geocoding is seeing your points displayed correctly on the map. 

Depending on the settings of your map, newly geocoded points may or may not be visible 

immediately. 

Follow these steps to attempt to locate newly geocoded points on the map. 

1. Make sure that the Map window is active by clicking in its title bar. 

2. Choose Map > Layer Control. The Layer Control window displays. 

Make sure that the table you geocoded is listed in the Layer list. If it is not, then click the Add 

Layers button and add that layer. 

3. In the Layer Control window move the geocoded table to the top, just below the Cosmetic layer, 

to ensure that the points are not obscured by any other layer. 

4. Make sure that the geocoded layer is set to visible. Check the Visible On/Off check box. 

If your points are still not visible, proceed to step 6. 

5. On the Map menu, click View Entire Layer. Select your table and click OK. This should put all of 

the points from your table in view. You may see that your points are on the map, but are not in 

the location you expected them to be. If they seem misplaced, see Ungeocoding Selected 

Records on page 364. 

6. If your points still do not display, on the Map menu, click Layer Control. Select the layer 

containing your geocoded points, and click the Layer Properties button. The Layer 

Properties dialog displays. 

7. On the Layer Display tab, select the Style Override check box and choose a symbol style that 

will stand out on your map. Click OK and then exit Layer Control. 

After following these steps, if you have not found the points that you geocoded, try to select all of the 

ungeocoded records as described in the section Selecting Points Not Geocoded. 

Result Codes 

When you are using the result code option (in Geocode Options dialog box) MapInfo Professional 

will generate a code for each record. These codes indicate the steps MapInfo Professional took to 

geocode the record, whether or not the geocoding was successful, and whether or not the match 

was exact. You can use return codes to diagnose MapInfo Professional’s geocoding performance. It 

will help you spot “false positives” resulting from using various geocoding options and to analyze 

why some records have not been geocoded. 

Ungeocoding a Table 

Ungeocoding is the process of removing objects that have been attached to data records. There are 

times when it will be necessary to ungeocode an entire table or selected records in a table. For 

example, you have geocoded a database of customers using US_ZIPS.tab. Later, you want to 

geocode the database again, using street addresses instead of postal code centroids since the 




geocoding will be more precise. MapInfo Professional allows you to delete all graphic objects 

associated with this table. You can then geocode your database again, using more specific 

coordinates. Ungeocoding only selected records from your table is useful when the location 

information changes for a relatively small number of records, such as address changes in a 

geocoded list of customers. 

To ungeocode and remove one or more of the objects in a table: 

1. Make the table you are working with the editable layer of the active Map window. 

2. Select the object or objects. 

3. Click the Map window to make it active. 

4. Choose Edit > Clear Map Objects Only. 

To ungeocode an entire table: 

1. On the Table menu, point to Maintenance and click Table Structure. The Modify Table 

Structure dialog box displays. 

2. Clear the Table Is Mappable check box. Click OK. 

CAUTION: This action will remove all graphic objects from your table. This action cannot 

be undone. If you are unsure of losing your points, save a copy of the table first. 

3. A warning dialog box appears. If you are sure about removing all the objects, click OK. 

All graphic objects have been removed from your table. 

Make sure that you don’t ungeocode your source tables. Unless you have created a backup of that 

table, you will no longer be able to display that table as a map or use it for geocoding. 

Ungeocoding Selected Records 

To ungeocode and remove one or more of the objects in a table: 

1. Make the table you are working with the editable layer of the active Map window. 

2. Select the object or objects. 

3. Choose Edit > Clear Map Objects Only. 

For more information about trouble shooting your geocoding issues, see Resolving Geocoding 

Issues in the Help System. This section contains the following topics: 

• Resolving Spelling Errors in your Data Records 

• Resolving Incorrect Address Numbers in your Data Records 

• Working with the Abbreviations File 

• When an Input Address Finds More than One Location 

• Solving Problems of Space-Delimited Simple Substitution 

• Resolving Simple Truncation 

• Resolving Space-Delimited Truncation 

• Resolving Simple Substitution 

• Handling Legitimate Spaces 

• Handling Special Characters 


• Resolving Alternate Street Names, Street Names have Changed 

• Resolving Incorrect Address Ranges 

• Geocoding Post Office Boxes 

• Correcting Inaccurate Town Names 

• Correcting Geocoding Errors using Result Codes 

• Examples of Geocoding Result Codes 


Putting Latitude/Longitude Coordinates on a Map 


You may have a file that already contains X and Y coordinates, but not the point objects themselves 

that you want to display in MapInfo Professional. While the geographic information exists in the 

table, MapInfo Professional needs to create points to represent these coordinates before displaying 

them in a Map window. The Create Points command under the Table menu allows you to create 

points for each record in your database that has X-Y coordinate information. 

� MapInfo Professional uses the coordinate fields in your table to create point objects. Records 

that already have graphic objects associated with them will be skipped during the Create 

Points operation. 

For example, you have a table showing transmitter tower locations that was created by recording 

coordinates using a global positioning system. You want to display the locations on a map in 

MapInfo Professional. The table already has X and Y coordinate information but MapInfo 

Professional cannot display this information until you create points for that coordinate data that 

MapInfo Professional can read. 

For more information, see the Putting Latitude/Longitude Coordinates on a Map in the Help System. 

This section also contains these topics: 

• Creating Points from an Excel or Lotus Table 

• Creating Points from a Longitude/Latitude 

• Creating Points in a Projection 

For more about the Degree Converter tool, see the Tools section of the Help System. 

Dispersing Points Located in the Same Place 

Depending on how you have geocoded your table, you may have several points that are placed at 

the same location, making it difficult to tell if you are viewing one point or many. For example, if you 

geocode a table of students by census tract, and view the results on your map, it appears that there 

is one dot at the center of each tract when there actually may be several there. To see all of your 

data, you may want to disperse the points over a small area. There are three methods for dispersing 

points: the Disperse Points tool (a tool that comes with MapInfo Professional), equal dispersion, and 

dispersion to the right. 

• For specific instructions, see the Dispersing Points Located in the Same Place in the Help 

System. 


Creating Points for Intersections 



Many people working with street files are often interested in information that is located at 

intersections. For some, their only concern is the intersections. In MapInfo Professional you can 

geocode to intersections in your street file with the Geocode command, but it would be easier to 

work with a table that contained only intersections. For example, a municipality is interested in 

tracking the types of traffic control devices at each street intersection. It would be beneficial for them 

to make an entire layer that contains the intersection of every street. 

• For specific instructions, see Creating Points for Intersections in the Help System. 

Geocoding Data using a Server 

Using the MapMarker and Envinsa Web Services, you have more choices for geocoding. For 

example, you can choose to geocode your records by street address or by postal code centroid, or 

by geographic centroids. If you have geocoded some records and some did not geocode 

successfully, you can set fallback conditions to locate those records. If you geocode and there are 

no results, poor results, or multiple equal close results, the geocoding server can present you with 

interactive options so you can select among possible matches or change your input. Further, these 

web services allow you to set multiple matching conditions when more than one record matches the 

records you are geocoding and set offsets for placing points right in the geocode properties. 

For companies and organizations that use MapMarker and Envinsa servers as a geocoding engine, 

you can now take advantage of the geocoding servers available to your whole enterprise. If your 

organization makes this server available on your intranet or over the Internet, you can use our 

geocoding web services from within MapInfo Professional to perform more sophisticated and 

accurate data geocoding. 

To use MapInfo Professional with a geocoding server, you need MapMarker Java Server 4.0 or later 

or Envinsa 4.0 or later. MapInfo Professional supports any geography that is supported by Envinsa 

currently. Envinsa supports MapMarker Java Server V2, V3, and V4. Keep in mind that any Envinsa 

server only supports the data that is installed. 

Before you can access a MapMarker or Envinsa geocoding service, you need to connect MapInfo 

Professional to its server. This process gives MapInfo Professional all the information it needs to 

access the geocoding service. You need to enter this information only once per service. 

To set up a geocoding server and its preferences, see Setting up a Geocoding Server on 

page 209 and Setting the Geocoding Server Preferences on page 203. 

To geocode a single address using a geocoding service, see Geocoding a Single Address using 

a Geocoding Service on page 408. 

• To geocode a table of addresses using a geocoding service, see Geocoding a Table using a 

Geocoding Service in the Help System. 


Displaying Your Data on the Map 


Displaying Your Data on the Map 

Once you have converted your data and geocoded or created points for it, you are ready to display 

the results. 

To display your data in a new Map window: 

1. On the Window menu, click New Map Window and select the tables you want in your map. The 

order in which you select these tables determines the order they display. 

2. Click OK to display your data on the map you selected. 

3. To change the symbol used to display your data, choose Map > Layer Control. The Layer 

Control window displays. 

4. Click the Style Override swatch for the layer with your data in it and select new display options. 

To display your data on an existing Map window: 

1. Open the .tab files or .WOR files you want to plot your converted data onto. 

2. Open the .tab files or .WOR files you just created and in the Preferred View drop-down box 

select the Current Mapper option. 

3. Click Open. 


After Displaying Your Data on the Map 


Printing Your Results 

Now that your data is there to see, make it say something to your audience. The whole world of 

MapInfo Professional functionality is open to you. For details on analyzing your data, see Creating 

Thematic Maps, Legends, and Other Maps on page 229 or see Drawing and Editing Objects 

on page 157 for more about customizing your map. 

Finding Data on your Map 

The Find Selection in Current Map Window command allows you to search and display a 

selection in the currently active Map window. You can not search for the selection in other types of 

windows (Browser or Layout, for example) using this command. You can access this option by 

pressing the . 

The Find Selection in All Windows command allows you to locate the selection in all open 

windows (including a Browser window) that are currently open. 

To access Find Selection in Current Map Window: 

1. Perform the Query > Find or Query > Find Selection. 

2. Choose Query > Find Selection > In Current Map Window. 

� Choosing the In Current Map Window option shortens the search time. 

To access Find Selection in All Windows: 

1. Perform the Query > Find or Query > Find Selection. 

2. Choose Query > Find Selection > In All Windows. 

• For more information, see Saving and Closing Query Tables in the Help System. 


Once you have created the perfect map or graph, you can easily print the individual windows. For 

presentation, use the Layout menu to bring together all views of your mapping session. Here, you 

can combine different types of windows to create an attractive and more informative presentation. 

On the Window menu, click New Layout Window to display a Layout window that you can use to 

arrange your maps, browse tables, graphs, legends, titles, logos, etc. See Working with Layouts 

on page 306, for tips and techniques about working in the Layout window. 

Setting up the Page 

Before you print your map or layout, you will need to set up your page. In the Page Setup dialog box 

(on the File menu, click Page Setup), specify the paper size, orientation, and margins. 




For detailed printing instructions, see Printing your Map in the Help System. These topics are also in 

this section: 

• Saving or Restoring Printer Information in Workspaces 

• Advanced Printing Options 

• Graph/Browser/3DMap Printing Options 

• Overriding the Default Printer 

• Printing Maps to PDF Files 

Printing Your Map 

When you have your page set up the way you want, you are ready to print. 

To print your map: 

1. On the File menu, click Print to display the Print dialog box. This dialog box allows you to specify 

printer properties, a page range for printing, and the number of copies to print. 




You can override the default printer setting by selecting another print from the Name drop-down 

list. 

� The PDF button is available on the Print dialog box only when the Printer name is 

MapInfo PDF Printer Version 10.5. 

2. If you need to change the size of the map, the orientation of your map or want to specify the 

scale or a custom width or height, click the Options button. If you are printing a map, the Map 

Print Options dialog box displays. 

� If you are printing a graph or a browser or a 3DMap, your options will be different. 

The Map Window Preference setting Use Cartographic Scale affects the entries in this 

dialog box. 




3. Here you can specify the size of the map, how its contents will display, the scale, and its width 

and height. For details on the other print options, see Graph/Browser/3DMap Printing Options in 

the Help System. When you have completed your selections, click OK to continue. 

• Map Size — Select the size of the map you are producing in this group; the options are 

Window Size, Fit to Page, and Custom. As you make selections, the Custom Scale, Custom 

Width and Custom Height entries change. 

• Window Size — Click this button to print the map as it displays on your computer screen. 

• Fit to Page — Click this button to fit the current map to the page size you have selected in 

your preferences. 

• Custom — Click this button to enter your own custom scale, width, and height entries in the 

fields provided. Then, type the appropriate entries in the Custom Scale, Custom Width and 

Height fields. 

• Map Contents — Select an option in this group to determine the map contents you want to 

print; the options are Same as Window and Centered on Window. 

• Same as Window — Click this button to print the map contents as it appears in the Map 

window, with the same proportions and content as you see. 

• Centered on Window — Click this button to center as much of the current map that fits on 

the page. When you select this option, the image may print on more than one page 

depending upon fit. In general when you select this option, MapInfo Professional assumes 

you want to select the Fit to Page radio button and selects this for you. 

4. If your map is particularly complex (a large map, 3D, or one with 10 or more colors) there are 

more options available using the Advanced button. The Advanced Printing Options dialog box 

displays. (See Advanced Printing Options in the Help System). When you have completed your 

selections, click OK to continue. 

5. After you complete your selections, click OK on the Print dialog box to print your results. 

Viewing and Printing Text 

Text size is handled differently in maps and layouts. You should keep these differences in mind 

when printing maps and layouts containing text objects and when fine tuning text. 

Text Size in Layouts 

In the Layout, the point size of the text is specified relative to the actual size of the page (that is, the 

size in which it will print), just as it is in word processing and desktop publishing programs. When 

you zoom in and out on a Layout, the text will be larger or smaller on the screen, but its specified 

point size (as indicated in its attributes box) remains the same. 

The font and size of text objects in the Layout Window may not appear as they do on the printed 

page. There are several possible reasons for this: fonts available for screen display are not available 

for your printer, screen character width is different than printer character width, and screen 

resolution is different than printer resolution. 

To find out the true size of a text object in the Layout Window, use the Select tool and click on the 

object. The edit handles indicate the object's true size. 




Text Size in Maps 

In maps, text size is specified relative to the screen. When you zoom in and out on a map, the size of 

the text on the screen and the specified point size of the text will change. If you zoom in, text will 

appear larger, as will all visible elements of the map. The point size of the text (as indicated in its 

attributes box) will be appropriate to the text being displayed on screen. 

Troubleshooting Print Problems 

Good first steps in troubleshooting a printing problem are to make sure you have downloaded and 

installed the latest patch for MapInfo Professional and are using the latest printer driver for your 

printer/operating system. You can get additional printer advice in the MapInfo Professional Printing 

Guide, which is located in the Documentation subfolder of your installation directory. 

When we discuss printer issues, we make the following assumptions about your print environment: 

• The printer/plotter has been installed properly 

• The printer/plotter drivers have been installed correctly 

• The printer/plotter is connected to the computer or to the network properly 

• There is sufficient memory (on the print device and on the computer) to print your files 

Any of these issues can affect your ability to print/plot your MapInfo Professional output. Our 

Technical Support professionals may be able to identify these difficulties, but they are not within their 

control. 

� Whenever we use the terms print or printer we also mean plotter. 

When Printing a MapInfo Professional Object From Another Application 

When you embed a MapInfo map or graph in another application (such as Word or PowerPoint), 

click outside the map/graph before you use the Print or Print Preview commands. This allows the 

container application to take over previewing or printing properly. This is particularly true if you have 

just made changes to the map or graph you are printing. 

Working with Fill Patterns 

Note that fill patterns on the first row of the Region Style dialog box are Windows standard and tend 

to print faster. The other patterns are bitmaps Pitney Bowes Software Inc. has created for your use. 

You might want to consider this when you are selecting fill patterns. See also Recommendations for 

Effective Pattern Scaling in the MapInfo Professional Help System for more information regarding 

scaling and printing fill patterns. 

Translucent Raster Maps/Grids and Windows 9X Don’t Mix 

You cannot print a translucent raster map or grid on Windows 9X platforms or export them to EMF or 

WMF file formats. You need to use a non-metafile (for example, .BMP or .GIF) format to export 

raster images on Windows 9X. 

Customers printing large images (such as destination page size D, E, or A0) no longer have the 

28,000 pixel limitation. If you experienced printer difficulties in the past due to this limitation, you 

should notice a significant improvement in your printed images. 




Sometimes the Older Driver is Better 

When in doubt, if an older driver worked and the new one does not, go back to the older driver. 

Make Room for the Metafile 

Make sure you have plenty of temporary disk space, particularly if you are using the Print using the 

Enhanced Metafile option. The system is trying to create a layered bitmap locally on disk. 

Spool Locally, Print Globally 

Try spooling print jobs locally rather than at the plotter. This allows the computer to rasterize your 

output rather than the printer, which can be more efficient. 

• For print spooling instructions, see Troubleshooting Printing Problems in the Help System. 


Working with Coordinate 

Systems and Projections 

Maps at their base are a visual representation in two dimensions of a section of 

the three-dimensional Earth. Being able to use maps in an electronic format in 

many ways frees us from the constrictions of the two-dimensional map because 

we can use mathematical formulas to compensate for the curvature of the 

Earth. In this chapter, we cover the coordinate systems and projections that are 

standard in MapInfo Professional and provide the tools with which you can 

create a custom projections to meet your organization’s needs. Whether you 

are a local government trying to establish new tax rolls or a large company 

trying to define your sales territory more precisely, creating a custom projection 

may be a solution you want to explore. 


� Working with Coordinate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .375 

� Building Blocks of a Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381 

� Adding Projections to the MAPINFOW.PRJ File . . . . . . . . . . . . .389 

� Understanding Precision in MapInfo Professional . . . . . . . . . . .392 

� Understanding Affine Transformations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .392 

� Using Earth and Non-Earth Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .395 

• For more information, see Using Ocean and Grid Tables and 

Frequently Asked Projection File Questions in the Help System. 

14

Working with Coordinate Systems 

Chapter 14: Working with Coordinate Systems and Projections 


The terms “projection” and “coordinate system” are often used interchangeably, however they do not 

mean the same thing. 

Projection - An equation or set of equations that contain mathematical parameters for a map. The 

exact number and nature of the parameters depends upon the type of projection. You can think of a 

projection as a method of reducing a map’s distortion caused by the curvature of the Earth, or more 

precisely, a projection compensates for the shortcomings of depicting maps in two dimensions when 

the coordinates exist in three dimensions. 

Coordinate System - When parameters of a projection are assigned specific values, they become a 

coordinate system. A coordinate system is a collection of parameters that describe coordinates, one 

of which is a projection. 

Displaying Coordinates 

There are two places where coordinates display: 

• In the Status Bar by cursor location (set in the Map Options dialog box or by clicking on the 

Status Bar). 

• In dialog boxes that display area measurements, such as a Point Object, Region Object etc. 

� Coordinates can only be entered in the Object Info dialog boxes when a layer is editable. 

You can display coordinates in one of the following formats: 

• Decimal degrees (for example -97.90052°, 42.85732°) 

• Degrees, minutes, seconds (for example -97° 54’ 1.908", 42° 51’ 26.28") 

• Military Grid Reference (WGS 1984 datum) (for example 14TNN8982545555) 

• US National Grid Reference (NAD 83/WGS 84) (for example 14TNN8982545555) 

• US National Grid Reference (NAD 27) (for example 14TNN8985745342 (NAD 27)) 

The default is Decimal degrees. 

Elements of a Coordinate System 

A coordinate system in MapInfo Professional is made up of many elements which need to be 

specified in advance. Once these elements are in place, you can be sure that your maps are as 

accurate as possible. These are the projection elements you need to set in the MAPINFOW.PRJ file: 

• Projection Types 

• Datums 

• Units 

• Coordinate System Origin 

• Standard Parallels (Conic Projections) 

• Oblique Azimuth (Hotine Oblique Mercator) 

• Scale Factor (Transverse Mercator) 


• False Easting and False Northing 

• Range (Azimuthal Projections) 



� For datum and unit tables, see Projection Datums on page 456 and Units on page 464. 

Understanding Coordinate Systems 

You can make a map out of any globe without distorting the points on the surface by placing the 

globe into an imaginary cylinder. 

Figure: Globe with Longitude/Latitude Projection 

If you transfer the touch points from the globe surface onto the cylinder and roll out the cylinder onto 

graph paper, the result is a map as in the figure below. In the map that would be created from this 

cylinder, the Equator is 0 degrees all the way around the globe and the points on that line are 

completely accurate. 


Figure: Longitude/Latitude Projection Map 



When you add longitude and latitude lines at 15 degree increments to each side of the Equator and 

the Prime Meridian you create a reference grid. The lines furthest from the Prime Meridian are +180 

degrees toward the right and -180 degrees to the left. This map projection is commonly called the 

Longitude/Latitude projection. 

This is often considered the default projection. It is the most effective map for areas nearest the 

Equator but measurements further away tend to increase in distortion. 

Because many people do not live near the Equator, other projections came into use to create more 

accurate local maps. Accuracy depends upon how you project the globe onto the cylinder. If you turn 

the cylinder so that it touches the Prime Meridian instead (or any line of longitude, 90 degrees away 

from the Equator) you have a Transverse Projection. The closer you are to the place the cylinder 

touches the globe, the more accurate the measurements are. 

Figure: Globe Demonstrating the Transverse Projection 

Transverse projections allow us to make maps that are more North-South line accurate, as long as 

you compensate for the distance from the new “Equator” which in this case is the Prime Meridian. 


Figure: Transverse Mercator Projection Map 



A third type of projection attempts to resolve the distortion problem in another way. Conic projections 

use a cone shape instead of a cylinder to create the “touch points” . 

Figure: Globe with Conic Projection 

This type of projection is much more accurate for large regions or countries that are wider in the 

East-West direction than in the North-South direction. There is much less distortion regionally 

because the touch points of a cone are closer to the map surface than those of a cylinder. 


Figure: Brazilian Polyconic Projection Map 



As you can see from the previous figure, the conic maps are best for small regional areas. The 

larger-scale map has too much distortion to be useful. 

A fourth type of projection, the Azimuthal projection, does not use cones or cylinders but a simple 

circle that goes all the way around the globe over a particular point. This projection provides a “view 

from space” over a particular point. 

Figure: Globe with Azimuthal Projection 

This type of projection is most useful when you need to work with a particular hemisphere. A 

hemisphere need not be North-South or East-West based. The next figure uses the North Pole as 

the center point for the Azimuthal Projection. 


Figure: Lambert Azimuthal Projection Map 



You can use more than one projection that rotates a cylinder slightly along the Equator. This style is 

used in the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection. UTM maps the Earth with a transverse 

cylinder projection to create standard "UTM Zones". By rotating the cylinder around the globe in six 

degree increments, the UTM assures that all spots on the Earth are within 3 degrees of the center 

line. (The Gauss-Kruger system is a European system akin to UTM that also uses a transverse 

cylinder rotated in six degree steps). 

Figure: Universal Transverse Mercator Projection Map (UTM Zone 29) 

Almost all projections you will use are one of these types. They are either cylindrical (regular or 

transverse), conic, or azimuthal projections and are customized by slightly different projection 

parameters. Projection parameters are options that describe how the projection is arranged. 

You can further customize projections by specifying different parameters for the projection you want 

to use. For example, you can specify the longitude and latitude of any point on the Earth to create 

your own Azimuthal projection of that point. You can customize conic projections by specifying the 

parallel of latitude at which the cone should be tangent. 


Building Blocks of a Coordinate System 



In this section, we provide the tables required to create your own coordinate systems using map 

projections, datums, units, Origins, Standard Parallels, Azimuths, Scale Factors, False Eastings, 

False Northings, and Ranges. You might want to create your own coordinate system if accuracy is 

crucial to understanding your data or if your data is specified in relation to a non-standard point, and 

you would prefer to keep your data in that custom coordinate system. 

Coordinate Systems, Projections, and their Parameters 

By specifying a projection type and various required parameters, you create a mathematical 

algorithm for producing equivalent coordinates in degrees for the projected coordinate system. Each 

projection has specific parameters you can customize to make your maps more geographically 

accurate. The following table details each major coordinate system type and the parameters you can 

use to customize that system. The parameters are listed in the order they appear in the relevant 

projection entries in the MAPINFOW.PRJ file. To create your own coordinate system using a 

particular projection, you must add an entry into the MAPINFOW.PRJ file. 

The parameters of a coordinate system are (in this order): 

• Coordinate System Name 

• Projection Type 

• Datum 

• Units 

• Original Longitude 

• Original Latitude 

• Standard Parallel 1 

• Standard Parallel 2 

• Azimuth 

• Scale Factor 

• False Easting 

• False Northing 

• Range 

� Each of these headings is described in detail in the next few pages. 

For a complete list of common coordinate systems and their necessary parameters, see 

Projections and Their Parameters on page 452 


Projection Types 



The following list names the projection types used in the MAPINFOW.PRJ file. These projection 

types indicate the type of map you are using as the basis for your projection. 

Number Projection 

9 Albers Equal-Area Conic 

28 Azimuthal Equidistant (all origin latitudes) 

5 Azimuthal Equidistant (polar aspect only) 

30 Cassini-Soldner 

2 Cylindrical Equal-Area 

14 Eckert IV 

15 Eckert VI 

6 Equidistant Conic, also known as Simple Conic 

33 Equidistant Cylindrical 

17 Gall 

7 Hotine Oblique Mercator 

4 Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area (polar aspect only) 

29 Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area 

3 Lambert Conformal Conic 

19 Lambert Conformal Conic (modified for Belgium 1972) 

1 Longitude/Latitude 

10 Mercator 

11 Miller Cylindrical 

13 Mollweide 

18 New Zealand Map Grid 

31 Prince Edward Island Double Stereographic 

27 Polyconic 

26 Regional Mercator 


Number Projection 

12 Robinson 

16 Sinusoidal 

20 Stereographic 

25 Swiss Oblique Mercator 

Specifying the Bounds for Coordinate Systems 



8 Transverse Mercator (also known as Gauss-Kruger) 

21 Transverse Mercator (modified for Danish System 34 Jylland-Fyn) 

22 Transverse Mercator (modified for Danish System 34 Sjaelland) 

23 Transverse Mercator (modified for Danish System 34/45 Bornholm) 

24 Transverse Mercator (modified for Finnish KKJ) 

You can specify the bounds for coordinate systems in the Mapinfo Professional .PRJ file. To do so, 

add 2000 to the projection number and list the bounds after the projection parameters. The general 

form is: 

name, projectionnum + 2000, projection parameters, x1, y1, x2, y2 

For example, to define a UTM Zone 10 coordinate system with bounds of (100000, 400000) to 

(200000, 450000), use this line: 

“UTM Zone 10”, 2008, 74, 7, -123, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0, 100000, 400000, 

200000, 450000 

To define a Longitude / Latitude coordinate system with bounds of (-50, 30) to (-48, 35), use this line: 

“Longitude / Latitude”, 2000, 0, -50, 30, -48, 35 

You can also define a coordinate system with bounds and an affine transformation. In that case, add 

3000 to the projection number, and list the bounds after the affine transformation constants. The 

general form is: 

name, projectionnum + 3000, projection parameters, unitnum, A, B, C, D, 

E, F, x1, y1, x2, y2 

Accounting for Affine Transformations and Explicit Bounds in Projection Types 

You can modify projection type entries in the MAPINFOW.PRJ to add a constant value to account 

for affine transformations and explicit bounds. Valid constant values are listed in the next table: 




Constant Coordinate System has: Parameters 

1000 Affine transformations Affine units specifier and coefficients appear after the 

regular parameters for the system. 

2000 Explicit bounds Bounds appear after the regular parameters for the 

system. 

3000 Both affine transformations 

and bounds 

Example: 

In this example we use the Transverse Mercator coordinate system with the NAD 1983 datum. You 

might have this line in your MAPINFOW.PRJ file: 

"UTM Zone 1 (NAD 83)", 8, 74, 7, -177, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0 

If you want to account for an affine transformation for this system, you would add the constant to the 

projection type and append the parameters of the affine transformation as listed below: 

Units=meters; A=0.5; B=-0.866; C=0; D=0.866; E=0.5; and F=0 

Affine parameters follow system’s parameters; 

bounds follow affine parameters. 

Therefore, the new entry to append the parameters of the affine transformation would be: 

"UTM Zone 1 (NAD 83) - rotated 60 degrees", 1008, 74, 7, -177, 0, 

0.9996, 500000, 0, 7, 0.5, -0.866, 0, 0.866, 0.5, 0 

where: 

Entry Description 

1008 Achieved by adding the constant (1000) to the projection type (8) 

7 Units for the affine transformation (7 = meters) 

0.5, -0.866, 0, 0.866, 0.5, 0 Affine parameters. ) 

To supply explicit bounds to the coordinate system (x1, y1, x2, y2)=(-500000, 0, 500000, 1000000), 

the required line entries would be: 

"UTM Zone 1 (NAD 83) - bounded", 2008, 74, 7, -177, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 

0, -500000, 0, 500000, 1000000 

where: 


2008 Produced by adding the constant (2000) to the projection type (8) 

-500000, 0, 500000, 1000000 Explicit bounds parameters 




To customize the coordinate system using both the affine transformation and explicit bounds, the 

entry in the MAPINFOW.PRJ would be: 

Datums 

"UTM Zone 1 (NAD 83) - rotated and bounded", 3008, 74, 7, -177, 0, 

0.9996, 500000, 0, 7, 0.5, -0.866, 0, 0.866, 0.5, 0, -500000, 0, 

500000, 1000000 

where: 


3008 Produced by adding the constant (3000) to the projection type (8) 

7 Units for the affine transformation (7 = meters) 

0.5, -0.866, 0, 0.866, 0.5, 0 Affine parameters 

-500000, 0, 500000, 1000000 Explicit bounds parameters (See Accounting for Affine 

Transformations and Explicit Bounds in Projection Types on 

page 383.) 

A datum is established by tying a reference ellipsoid to a particular point on the earth. The following 

Datums table lists the details for each datum: 

• The number used to identify the datum in the MAPINFOW.PRJ file. 

• The datum’s name 

• The maps for which the datum is typically used 

• The datum’s reference ellipsoid 

For a comprehensive list of supported projection datums, see Projection Datums on page 456. For 

a list of datum changes by version, see Coordinate System Enhancements by Version on 

page 467. 

� To create a custom datum, see Defining Custom Datums in the Help System. 

Converting Coordinates from One Datum to Another 

When converting coordinates from one datum to another, MapInfo Professional has used the 

Molodensky (3-parameter) and Bursa-Wolfe (7-parameter) methods. These are general-purpose 

methods that can convert coordinates from any datum to any other datum. 

After the NAD 83 datum was introduced, NOAA developed a program called NADCON, which 

stands for North American Datum CONversion. This is a very specialized program that converts 

coordinates only from NAD 27 to NAD 83 and vice versa. For this specialized task, it's much more 

accurate than the Molodensky general-purpose method; NADCON is accurate to about 0.1 meter, 

and Molodensky is accurate to only 10-30 meters. Most U.S. government agencies, including the 

Census Bureau, have standardized on NADCON for converting between NAD 27 and NAD 83. 


Units 



The NADCON algorithm is used to convert coordinates between NAD 27 and NAD 83 if those 

coordinates lie within the areas covered by NADCON (United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin 

Islands). If the coordinates lie outside those areas, or if they use datums other than NAD 27 or NAD 

83, MapInfo Professional uses the Molodensky or Bursa-Wolfe conversion methods. 

Due to the file access required, the NADCON conversion method can be slightly slower than the 

Molodensky method. If you want to turn off the NADCON conversion, add a “NADCON” entry to the 

registry. The registry entry should have this path: 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\MapInfo\MapInfo\Common\NADCON 

If this entry is set to zero, then the Molodensky conversion method will be used instead of NADCON. 

NADCON=0 

The units indicate the measurement that the projection uses to keep track of space. To find a 

complete list of units and their corresponding projection entries, see Units on page 464. 

Coordinate System Origin 

The coordinate system origin is the point on the Earth (specified as longitude and latitude degrees) 

from which all coordinate distances are to be measured. X = 0 and Y = 0 at the origin point, unless a 

false easting and/or false northing is used (see below). It is chosen to optimize the accuracy of a 

particular coordinate system. As we move north from the origin, Y increases; X increases as we 

move east. These coordinate values are generally called northings and eastings. 

For the Transverse Mercator projection, the origin’s longitude defines the central meridian. In 

constructing the Transverse Mercator projection a cylinder is positioned tangent to the earth. The 

central meridian is the line of tangency. The scale of the projected map is true along the central 

meridian. 

In creating a Hotine Oblique Mercator projection it is necessary to specify a great circle that is not 

the equator nor a meridian. MapInfo Professional does this by specifying one point on the ellipsoid 

and an azimuth from that point. That point is the origin of the coordinate system. 

Standard Parallels (Conic Projections) 

In conic projections a cone is passed through the earth intersecting it along two parallels of latitude. 

These are the standard parallels. One is to the north and one is to the south of the projection zone. 

To use a single standard parallel specify that latitude twice. Both are expressed in degrees of 

latitude. 

Oblique Azimuth (Hotine Oblique Mercator) 

When specifying a great circle (such as the Hotine Oblique Mercator) using a point and an azimuth 

(arc), the azimuth is called the Oblique Azimuth and is expressed in degrees. 


Scale Factor (Transverse Mercator) 



A scale factor is applied to cylindrical coordinates to average scale error over the central area of the 

map while reducing the error along the east and west boundaries. The scale factor has the effect of 

recessing the cylinder into the earth so that it has two lines of intersection. Scale is true along these 

lines of intersection. 

You may see the scale factor expressed as a ratio, such as 1:25000. In this case it is generally 

called the scale reduction. The relationship between scale factor and scale reduction is: 

scale factor = 1-scale reduction 

In this case the scale factor would be 1-(1/25000) or 0.99996. 

False Easting and False Northing 

As you can see in the Longitude/Latitude Projection Map on page 377, X and Y coordinate 

parameters are commonly designated in relationship to a single point. Points to the left of that center 

point are negative and points to the right are positive. Points above that center point are positive and 

points below that point are negative. 

In the days of the tall ships, these calculations and computations were done by hand. Using positive 

and negative signs made these calculations more complicated. The terms “false easting” and “false 

northing” were used to remove these signs and refer to the absolute value of the X and Y 

coordinates. MapInfo Professional handles these computations, but these parameters still have to 

be accounted for in the projections that use them. 

Range (Azimuthal Projections) 

The range specifies, in degrees, how much of the Earth is visible. The range can be between 1 and 

180. When you specify 90, you see a hemisphere. When you specify 180 you see the whole earth, 

though much of it is very distorted. 


About Polyconic Coordinate Systems 



The following description has been copied from “Map Projections – A Working Manual”, USGS 

Professional Paper 1395, by John P. Snyder. 

The Polyconic projection, usually called the American Polyconic in Europe, achieved its name 

because the curvature of the circular arc for each parallel on the map is the same as it would be 

following the unrolling of a cone which had been wrapped around the globe tangent to the 

particular parallel of latitude, with the parallel traced onto the cone. Thus, there are many (”poly- 

”) cones involved, rather than the single cone of each regular conic projection. 

The Polyconic projection is neither equal-area nor conformal. Along the central meridian, 

however, it is both distortion free and true to scale. Each parallel is true to scale, but the 

meridians are lengthened by various amounts to cross each parallel at the correct position along 

the parallel, so that no parallel is standard in the sense of having conformality (or correct angles), 

except at the central meridian. Near the central meridian, distortion is extremely small. 

This projection is not intended for mapping large areas. The conversion algorithms used break 

down when mapping wide longitude ranges. For example, WORLD.TAB, from the sample data 

shipped with MapInfo Professional, may exhibit anomalies if reprojected using Polyconic. 

Examples of Projection Entries in the MAPINFOW.PRJ File 

The MAPINFOW.PRJ file lists the parameters for each coordinate system on a separate line, as in 

the following examples: 

“Mollweide (Equal Area)”, 13, 62, 7, 0 

“Albers Equal–Area Conic (Alaska)”, 9, 63, 7, –154, 50, 55, 65, 0, 0 

“UTM Zone 9 (NAD 27 for Canada)”, 8, 66, 7, –129, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0 

This is a basic list of the elements of a coordinate system, for review. There are some projections 

that do not require all of the elements in the list. Following this list, you can see some entries from 

the .PRJ file. 

1. The first element in each list is the name of the projection in quotes. 

2. The second element in each list is the number that identifies the projection number as indicated 

in Projection Types on page 382. 

3. The third element in each list is the datum ID that identifies the appropriate datum for the 

projection. See Datums on page 385 for a complete list of supported datums. 

4. The fourth element in each list is the units, which indicate the units of the projection. See Units 

on page 464 for a current list of the supported units. 

5. The next element in some lists is the coordinate system origin. See Coordinate System Origin 

on page 386 for a complete description of this entry. 

6. The remaining elements are specific to particular types of projections. You can see their 

descriptions in Standard Parallels (Conic Projections) on page 386, Oblique Azimuth 

(Hotine Oblique Mercator) on page 386, Scale Factor (Transverse Mercator) on page 387, 



Adding Projections to the MAPINFOW.PRJ File 

False Easting and False Northing on page 387 and Range (Azimuthal Projections) on 

page 387. 

� Each element in a projection entry is separated by a comma. 

Let’s look at some specific coordinate systems to prepare you to create your own projection. It is 

important to remember that the elements of a projection are different for each projection. Here are 

some examples we have already seen: 

� There are additional examples in the Help System. 


Once you understand the structure of the entries in the MAPINFOW.PRJ file, you are ready to 

create a new projection entry for your coordinate system. You may want to make a copy of the 

MAPINFOW.PRJ file in case you want to revert back to it later. 

To create a new projection entry for the coordinate system in the MAPINFOW.PRJ file: 

1. Open MAPINFOW.PRJ in a text editor or word processor. In this file, you are going to add the 

new projection entries. 

Figure: MAPINFOW.PRJ in Notepad 

2. Scroll down in this list to find the type of projection you want to base your map on. See 

Understanding Coordinate Systems on page 376 for descriptions of the different projection 

types. 

3. Add a new line at the end of the projection list you are modifying. 

For example, to add a new Universal Transverse Mercator projection (Australian Map Grid using 

AGD66 datum), scroll down to that entry and type the new projection at the end of the list. 


Figure: Adding a Line in the MAPINFOW.PRJ File 



4. On a new line, type the new parameter entries based on the required parameters described for 

that projection type in the table Projections and Their Parameters on page 452. 

• If the name of your projection does not appear in the Common Map Projections list, consider 

the kind of projection you are creating (Latitude/Longitude, Conic, Transverse, etc.) and 

follow the table entries for the type of projection you want. 

• Remember to include constant values (Accounting for Affine Transformations and 

Explicit Bounds in Projection Types on page 383) to indicate an affine transformation, 

specific bounds, or both if appropriate or necessary. 

� The order of parameters is vitally important. Remember to separate each parameter with 

a comma. 

5. Save your edited MAPINFOW.PRJ file in the directory in your user directory. 

� In the past the MAPINFOW.PRJ file was saved in your installation directory but this did not 

allow different users to have different PRJ files. This new file placement permits this. 

Things to keep in mind when editing the MAPINFOW.PRJ file: 

• You must record the X and Y coordinates of the origin point in decimal degrees. 

• Remember to include a negative sign for west longitudes and south latitudes. 

• You must list the origin longitude first in the MAPINFOW.PRJ file entry. 

• Carry out decimals to at least five (5) places for greater accuracy. 

• Do not use commas to represent thousands or millions in large numbers. Only use commas 

to separate parameters from one another. 

• When specifying projection, datum and units, use the number that represents the parameter. 

These numbers are listed in the table for each parameter earlier in this section. In our 

example, 6 represents Equidistant Conic projection; 74 represents NAD 83 datum, and 7 

represents meters. 




Using the New Projection in a Coordinate System 

Once you have created this new projection, you can use it in a Map window to replace the 

coordinate system you are using. 

1. Open the map for which you want to change projections. 

2. From the Map menu, select Options to display the Map Options dialog box. 

3. Click the Projections button to display the Choose Projection dialog box. 

� To change the projection of a tab file and all of the map objects in it, use the File > Save 

Copy As command and select the new projection. 

4. Select the new projection from the list and click OK to confirm. The Map Options dialog 

redisplays. 

5. Click OK to implement the new projection in the Map window. 

Entering a New Coordinate System (Example) 

To illustrate this process in another way, create the following coordinate system using these 

parameters by adding a new entry to the MAPINFOW.PRJ file: 

Parameter Type Entry Description 

Name “Equidistant Conic Plus” Name of the new coordinate system 

Projection Type 6, Equidistant Conic 

Datum 74, (NAD 83) 

Units 7, meters 

Origin Longitude -90.5, 90°30′W 

Origin Latitude 30, 30°N, 

Standard Parallel 1 10.33333, 10°20′N 

Standard Parallel 2 50, 50°N 

False Easting 10000000, 10,000,000 m 

False Northing 500000 500,000 m 

1. Open MAPINFOW.PRJ in a text editor or word processor. 

2. Go to the Equidistant Conic section and add a new line. 

3. Type the name of your new coordinate system in quotes, followed by a comma. 



Understanding Precision in MapInfo Professional 

4. Enter the following information to represent your coordinate system: 

6, 74, 7, -90.5, 30, 10.33333, 50, 10000000, 500000 

5. Save your edited MAPINFOW.PRJ file. 

You can use your custom coordinate system just as you would use any of the coordinate systems 

that come with MapInfo Professional. 

There are other ways you can edit this file. To shorten the list, remove coordinate systems from the 

file. You can also change the names, change group headings and reorder the file to suit your needs. 

� Group headings are distinguished by the hyphen at the beginning of the name. Names of 

coordinate systems cannot begin with a hyphen or a space. 

Understanding Precision in MapInfo Professional 

MapInfo Professional is a very good tool for working at a high precision level. But the onus is on the 

user to discover the practical limits of the program in various circumstances and how to set the work 

environment in order to obtain the desired precision level. Millimeter level precision can be easily 

attained and maintained with projected maps in the metric system. 

What is Precision? 

The most basic component of any GIS is the spatial data that defines the map features. This spatial 

data could not exist without the coordinate systems that are used to specify the location information. 

Coordinate precision is a measure of storing spatial data as accurately as possible. Of course, this 

can be no more precise than the original data provided. Precision is a measurement of how 

accurately you can store and retrieve the spatial data and has nothing to do with the quality of the 

data. The number of reliable digits in your coordinate is termed significant digits. Precision is 

measured in terms of these significant digits. 

• For topics related to precision and map bounds, see Understanding Precision in MapInfo 

Professional in the Help System. 

Understanding Affine Transformations 

An affine transformation allows you to match the points on two vector maps that use different 

coordinate systems so they can be used together. The base map stays the same while the derived 

map is transformed mathematically to match up coordinates to the base map. 

MapInfo Professional provides the definitions for scale, translation, rotation, reflection, and shearing 

necessary to support an optional affine transformation for any coordinate system definition. You can 

also define a coordinate system with bounds and/or with an affine transformation. This is described 

in detail in Accounting for Affine Transformations and Explicit Bounds in Projection Types on 

page 383. 


Description of an Affine Transformation 



There are several basic types of transformation that can be applied to the base map using an affine 

transformation. These include scaling, translation, rotation, shearing, and reflection. 

• For more information, see Understanding Affine Transformations in the Help System. 

The scale factor of a transformation indicates the distance between the fixed points of one map 

versus the fixed points of the second map. If the only difference between two maps is the scale, the 

affine transformation of the derived map is only the same map zoomed in or out around a fixed point. 

The orientations of the lines connecting the points, and the angles between these lines, remain the 

same. The scaling in the case of the figure below is around the 0,0 point. 

The difference between these images is the scale. To create an affine transformation 

that maps the base image (A) to the derived image (B), change only the scale. 

The translation factor of a transformation is when every point on an image follows a parallel path and 

no rotation takes place. 

The difference between these two images is the translation. 

A 

0,0 0,0 

A 

0,0 0,0 

The rotation factor of a transformation indicates that the image turns on a particular point. The next 

figure shows a 25-degree rotation of the map around the 0,0 point. 


B 

B



A B 

0,0 0,0 

The difference between these two images is not the scale, because the size of each 

image is the same. The difference is the rotation of the derived image (B). 

The shearing factor of a transformation indicates that one of the coordinates of one image should 

change proportionally to the other. You can apply a shear transformation either on the x-axis as 

shown in the next figure or on the y-axis. As you can see the vertical scale of the image has not 

changed, and the corner of the figure at 0,0 has not moved—but points higher up on the figure are 

shifted progressively further to the right. 

A B 

0,0 0,0 

The difference is the shearing of the derived image (B). 

The reflection factor of a transformation indicates that the derived image is the mirror image of the 

base image, that is, all the points in the base image should be reflected across some straight line, 

such as the x-axis or y-axis. In the figure below, the derived image (B) is the reflection of the base 

image (A). 



Using Earth and Non-Earth Maps 

The difference between these two images is that the derived image (B) is a reflection 

of the base image (A) along the x-axis. 


Earth maps and non-earth maps generally require different treatment. The following section on 

projections apply only to earth maps. An earth map contains objects that have a particular location 

on the earth’s surface. All maps that MapInfo Professional sells are earth maps. Coordinates 

typically represent an object’s location in longitude and latitude, although other coordinate systems 

(using various projections) may be used instead. 

Sinusoidal (Equal-Area) 

Use earth maps to: 

• Overlay your map onto any maps that MapInfo Professional supplies. 

• Use or change projections. 

• Specify objects on the map in terms of longitude and latitude. 

0,0 


A 

B



A non-earth map contains objects that have no specific location on the earth’s surface. Floor plans 

are typical examples of non-earth maps. A non-earth map has a coordinate system, but since its 

map points are not referenced to locations on earth, the coordinate system does not contain a 

projection. Even though the floor plan describes a building that may be located somewhere on the 

Earth, the coordinates of objects in the floor plan are generally not referenced to positions on the 

Earth. Rather, the object’s coordinates are referenced to the floor plan itself, generally representing 

distance from the lower left corner of the floor plan. The next figure depicts a floor plan and is an 

example of a non-earth map. 

Specifying Coordinates for a Non-Earth Map 

Saving a Map to a Non-Earth Coordinate System 

To save a table into a Non-Earth Coordinate system: 

1. Ensure that your non-earth map is open and that it is the active window. 

2. Choose File > Save Copy As. 

3. In the Save Copy of Table As dialog box, click the Projection button. 

4. In the Choose Projection dialog box, choose Non-Earth from the Category drop-down list. 

5. Choose a unit from the Category Members drop-down list to specify the bounds and units for 

your non-earth coordinate system. 

6. Click OK. The Non-Earth Coordinate Bounds dialog box displays. 

The Non-Earth Coordinate Bounds dialog box allows you to specify the bounds and units for your 

non-earth coordinate system. You can use positive or negative numbers to specify the minimum and 

maximum X and Y values. 

Changing the Map’s Coordinate System to Non-Earth 

To only change the Map’s Coordinate System: 

1. Ensure that your map is open and that it is the active window. 

2. From the Map menu, select Options. 

3. In the Map Options dialog box, select the Projection button. 

4. In the Choose Projection dialog box, choose Non-Earth from the Category drop-down list. 

5. Choose a Non-Earth unit from the Category Members drop-down list. 

6. Click OK. 


Working with Web 

Services 

A web service is a software system that is accessible using an intranet or 

Internet connection. MapInfo Professional supports the Web Map Service and 

Web Feature Service, which allow you to retrieve data that others are sharing 

internally or world-wide. The power of web services is that you can use them to 

create more powerful maps or in the case of geocoding services get more 

accurate and precise results using the same data. 

Subsequently we added Geocoding and Driving Region web services. A 

Geocoding web service allows you to geocode with greater accuracy because 

the maps on a service are more precise. A Driving Region web service allows 

you to create time- and distance-based buffers around a site for determining 

proximity to a particular location. You might use this service to find the 

customers closest to a store, or to determine which insured customers are 

closest to a weather pattern. 

A mapping tile server provide cartographic maps of geo-referenced data, in the 

form of raster images (tiles). In MapInfo Professional, you can add map tiles as 

a base layer to your map to provide a visual reference for your data. This gives 

you a real-world reference for viewing your data, such as for viewing store 

locations or maintenance routes. 


� Introduction to Web Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .398 

� Enhancing Map Data using a Web Map Service . . . . . . . . . . . . .399 

� Enhancing Map Data using a Web Feature Service . . . . . . . . . .403 

� Geocoding using a Geocoding Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .406 

� Creating Routing Distance and Time Buffers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .410 

� Accessing Envinsa Online Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .413 

� Enhancing Map Data using a Mapping Tile Server . . . . . . . . . . .414 

15

Introduction to Web Services 

Chapter 15: Working with Web Services 

Introduction to Web Services 

MapInfo Professional web services can add detail and precision to the maps you are creating and 

analyzing. Currently, you can use four web services from within MapInfo Professional: 

• Web Map Service 

• Web Feature Service 

• Geocoding Service 

• Routing or Driving Region Service 

• Mapping Tile Service 

Accessing Web Services in MapInfo Professional 

To make it easier to access web services, there is a Web Services toolbar. These toolbar buttons 

display frequently used web services dialog boxes. 

To display the toolbar: 

1. From the Options menu, select Toolbars. 

2. Check the Web Services check box and click Close. 

Figure: Web Services Toolbar 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

1 Open WMS Table button 2 Open WFS Table button 3 Find Address button 

4 Geocode Using Server button 5 Create Driving Regions button 

6 Web Services Preferences button 7 Search CSW Catalogs button 8 Search PBBI 

Data Catalog button 

For more information about these buttons, see the Accessing Web Services in 

MapInfo Professional topic in the Help System. 

Web Service Authentication 

A web service, such as a WFS, WMS, geocoding server, routing server, or tile server, may require 

authentication in the form of a user name and password. 

Server-Side Authentication 

You can access WFS, WMS, and tile servers that require basic authentication using the built-in 

standard mechanism for internet servers. To connect to a web service that requires authentication, 

complete the Connect dialog box that displays. 

Enter the appropriate user name and password and select the Remember my password check box 

to have the site “remember” your password for you. Click OK to enter the site. If you do not have a 

valid user name and password, you cannot connect to the site. 


Accessing Secure Web Sites 


Enhancing Map Data using a Web Map Service 

SSL is an international standard security protocol for exchanging sensitive information between a 

web site and your computer. You know SSL-enabled sites by the https: address. When you connect 

to an SSL-enabled server, your computer and the server exchange digital certificates, which 

minimize the threat of theft of sensitive data. If you try to connect to a server and you have a valid 

SSL certificate, you should be able to connect to the web site. 

Proxy Server Authentication 

Your local LAN may use a proxy server to connect to the internet. Web client applications such as 

internet browsers provide a mechanism for specifying a proxy server, and MapInfo Professional 

does as well. By default, MapInfo Professional uses your system settings—the same settings used 

by Internet Explorer—for a proxy server. Those settings can be accessed via the Connections tab 

under Internet Options in the control panel, or via the same dialog invoked in Internet Explorer via 

the Tools > Internet Options menu option. Ask you system administrator for the correct settings. 

You can override these settings in MapInfo Professional via their Web Services preferences. Select 

Options > Preferences to display the Preferences dialog box and then click Web Services. The 

first tab in the Web Services Preferences dialog box displays Proxy Server settings. 

There are several options for a proxy server. 

• Use System Settings is the default option which uses the system settings for a proxy server, 

i.e., the same settings as Internet Explorer. 

• Use Direct Connection bypasses any system proxy server settings and connects directly to the 

Internet. This option will only work if your LAN allows direct connections. 

• Use Proxy Server also bypasses the system settings and allows you to specify a proxy server to 

use for MapInfo Professional. Ask your system administrator for the settings to use. 

If you do use a proxy server to connect to the Internet, the proxy server may also require 

authentication in the form of a user name and password. Your system administrator should tell you 

what these are. If a user name and password are required, you will be prompted for them via a 

dialog when MapInfo Professional attempts to connect to the Internet, such as when drawing a tile 

server layer. 

Enter the appropriate user name and password. You may also choose the Remember my 

password check box so the system will remember these values between sessions of MapInfo 

Professional. Within a session you should only need to specify the username and password once. 

See also: 

Setting the Web Services Preferences 


Web Services can provide more data for you to work with in MapInfo Professional. A Web Map 

Service (WMS) allows you to access maps and data through your local intranet or the Internet. This 

innovation is based on a specification from the Open GIS Consortium (OGC) that allows you to use 




raster map images from servers that also comply with the specification. You must specify the 

coordinate system within your data request to ensure that the images you retrieve “sync up” or 

register with your other map data. 

How Does MapInfo Professional Use WMS Servers? 

When you create a .tab file from WMS layer(s), you are actually creating a pointer to an XML file that 

keeps track of the data you selected, (the server address, the selected layer(s), the styles, the 

format, and the projection settings). You never actually retrieve the data and save it on your 

computer. Every time you add a WMS table as a layer to your map or you change the view of the 

map, the system generates a map request and retrieves the layer information. To do this, the .tab file 

points to an XML file which retrieves the information from the WMS Server and displays it on your 

computer. If you are not connected to the Internet, the server is unavailable, or the WMS layer(s) 

you are retrieving are not available, you cannot use the WMS .tab file. 

� The WMS sites that we include in this documentation or in the standard installation of 

MapInfo Professional have been verified as part of the testing process. We cannot guarantee 

that these sites will remain active, only that they were active as of this writing. 

WMS Maps Display in Current Map Window’s Coordinate System by Default 

Many times, when you are retrieving a WMS map, you are adding it to enhance the detail of a Map 

window that you are already working on. We have changed the default behavior of the Projection 

drop-down box. Now, this list defaults to the projection that matches the front-most map window, if 

that projection is available in the list. 

But What if a WMS Definition Already Exists or I am not Working in a Map Window? 

• If you are retrieving a WMS map and there was a previous WMS definition (or you are 

modifying a WMS map), MapInfo Professional uses the coordinate system that matches the 

current projection (not necessarily the Map window’s coordinate system). 

• If there was no previous WMS definition, the current Map window’s coordinate system is 

selected if it can be found in the Projection list. 

• If the Map window’s coordinate system is not in the Projection list or you are retrieving a 

WMS map when you are not working in a Map window, MapInfo Professional tries to default 

to EPSG:4326. 

• Finally, if none of these projections are found, the first item in the Projection list is selected. 


Supported Image Formats for WMS 

MapInfo Professional supports the following image formats for WMS: 

• PNG 

• JPEG (JPG) 

• TIFF (GeoTIFF AND TIFF) 

• GIF. 

� Not every format will be available from every Web Map Service. 



The OGC WMS specification supports transparent pixel definition for image formats. This allows you 

to use the images you retrieve as overlays and not solely as the bottom layer of your map. 

To set the background to transparent, click the Transparent check box in the Open WMS Table or 

the WMS Table Properties dialog boxes. You can also control the transparency and translucency of 

the image via Layer Control (by double-clicking the layer and checking the Style Override check 

box on the Layer Display tab in the Layer Properties dialog box). 


• Adding a WMS Server 

• Editing the WMS Servers List 

• Retrieving Map Data from Web Map Services 

• Setting the Projection for WMS Layers 

• Projection Issues with WMS Map Data 

• Editing WMS Layer Settings 

• Opening WMS .TAB Files 

• Info Tool SUpport for WMS Layers 

• Controlling WMS Image Quality When Printing 

Understanding WMS Error Messages 

Data returned to the WMS client depends on the availability and status of the WMS server and on 

the characteristics and status of the maps on the WFS server. These conditions are beyond the 

control of Pitney Bowes Software Inc.. 

The following table lists and explains WMS-related error messages. Some messages consist of two 

parts, separated by a colon. The information up to the colon is generated by the MapInfo WMS 

client. The raw data following the colon comes directly from the WMS server. For clarification on 

those messages, please contact the service provider of the WFS server. 


WMS-Related Error Messages 



Error Message Description and Explanation of Message 

XML Parsing Error: 

The WMS Server issued the following 

exception: 

The following error was issued while 

attempting to access the WMS server: 

 

The WMS Server returned no data in 

response to the request. 

Unable to retrieve capabilities from the 

WMS Server. 

The WMS Server returned HTML data 

rather than the requested format. The 

specified address may not be a WMS 

Server or the server could not process the 

request: 

The WMS Server returned data which was 

neither in the requested format nor a 

recognized WMS service exception: 

 

The most likely cause is badly formed XML from the server. 

The raw data following the colon is transmitted by the 

MSXML 4.0 parser. 

The raw data following the colon is transmitted by the WMS 

server. This may help you analyze the problem. 

The WMS server generated an error. For clarification, contact 

the service provider of the WFS server. 

There could be a problem with the URL, the server may not 

be available, or it may have timed out. 

MapInfo Professional issued a service request, but nothing 

was received from the server. 

The GetCapabilities request from the server failed. This 

message usually appears paired with another message in the 

same message window. 



The server you are accessing may not be a WMS server. You 

may see this message after accessing a WFS server and 

seeing a list of WFS layers. This can occur because the 

Capabilities document provided by the server may contain 

additional URLs that redirect you to another server (not the 

one you explicitly selected). That “redirected” server may be 

down or have another problem. 



The exception message from the server could not be 

understood. For example, the exception message may not 

have been in XML format. 

Error accessing temporary file. It is possible that your disk is full or you might have deleted 

the temp file while Mapinfo Pro was running. 

The WMS Server does not return 

GetFeatureInfo data in a format supported 

by MapInfo Professional. 

The server may not support GetFeatureInfo. 


The WMS Server does not support 

GetFeatureInfo requests. 

There are no queryable layers in the WMS 

table for GetFeatureInfo request. 

The WMS Server returned data in 

rather than the requested format 

of . 

Unable to retrieve feature information from 

the WMS server. 

WMS-Related Error Messages(continued) 


Enhancing Map Data using a Web Feature Service 

Error Message Description and Explanation of Message 

The server may not provide GetFeatureInfo in a format 

understood by MapInfo Professional. 

The server may not have a queryable layer. It is possible that 

a queryable layer changed between the time that you first 

created the WMS table and subsequently reopened the table. 

MapInfo Professional requested data in the format that the 

server claims it supports, however the server is returning a 

different format. For clarification, contact the service provider 

of the WMS server. 

The GetFeatureInfo request from the server failed. This 

message usually appears paired with another message in the 

same message window. 


MapInfo Professional provides a Web Feature Service (WFS) client to retrieve geospatial GML 

(Geography Markup Language)2 data using HTTP GET and HTTP POST requests over the Internet 

or through a private intranet. The WFS client was developed in accordance with the 1.0.0 OpenGIS ® 

Web Feature Service Implementation Specification, which is available online: 

http://www.opengis.org/docs/02-058.pdf 

WFS is similar to WMS (Web Map Service), in that both can provide geographic data via the 

Internet. But while a WMS server provides raster maps, a WFS server provides raw coordinate data 

that the client uses to produce a map. 

� The MapInfo WFS client has been developed in accordance with OGC WFS Specification 

1.0.0. Using this client you cannot retrieve data from sites that are compliant with earlier or 

later versions of the OGC specification. 

The WFS client supports GML2 (OGC GML V2.1.1). The OGS WFS Specification states that all 

servers should support GML2, but may also support other formats. The server provides information 

on the formats available, and the client makes the request for the data in the format it can use. If the 

server does not support GML2, it will not be supported by the MapInfo WFS client. 

GML2 does not contain any style information. You can provide style information to associate with a 

particular WFS table. 

A WFS request contains a description of query operations that can be applied to one or more 

features. The client generates the request and posts it to a WFS using HTTP. The web feature 

server then reads and executes the request. 




The GetCapabilities operation queries the WFS server for capabilities. Then the MapInfo 

Professional WFS client can generate a query appropriate for the WFS server and table. 

Each table in the WFS server can result in a single MapInfo table. The mapping is always 1-to-1 

(unlike WMS, which is many-to-1). 

The TAB file retrieved from a WFS server resembles a read-only DBMS linked table. It contains a 

MAP file and a DAT file, and acts like a read-only native table. Information is stored so that the table 

can be refreshed from the WFS server. 

The sequence of actions can be summarized as follows: 

1. After sending a GetCapabilities request to a WFS server, the server returns a list of WFS layers 

(FeatureTypes) that it can provide. 

2. The user picks a WFS layer to fetch from the server, MapInfo Professional then sends a 

DescribeFeatureType request to the server. This response is an XML schema that describes 

the feature. 

3. The user can then select which columns and/or rows to fetch. 

4. MapInfo Professional sends a GetFeature request to the WFS. If the user did not select a subset 

of columns, all columns will be requested by default. 

5. The response is a GML document containing the feature collection. Each feature represents one 

“record” in the MapInfo table. 

There is a list of WFS servers in the client to help you get started in using this functionality. 

� Since the data you retrieve using the WFS is remote, it may change from time to time. You 

can refetch your WFS data manually using the refresh process. See Refreshing your WFS 

Data in the Help System for more information. 

WFS Server Requirements 

You must have a working Internet connection whenever you retrieve WFS data. To display GML2 

data correctly in the MapInfo Professional Web Feature Service, the server you are requesting 

information from must: 

• Support V1.0.0 of WFS. The MapInfo Professional WFS client sends the initial GetCapabilities 

and specifies version 1.0.0. If the server you are requesting information from does not support 

the 1.0.0 version, MapInfo Professional cannot use that server and no further operations will be 

allowed. 

• Respond to GetCapabilities request using Http GET in XML. 

• Respond to the GetFeature request by returning GML2 (OGC GML V2.1.1). The server’s 

GetCapabilities response should include this information. If the server does not claim to use 

GML2 as the Result Format for GetFeature, then MapInfo Professional cannot use the server 

and no further operations will be allowed. 

• Conform to the OGC GetCapabilities schema. If the server GetCapabilities response does not 

conform to the schema, MapInfo Professional may not be able to read portions of it. This may 

mean that MapInfo Professional misses items that the server is trying to communicate, such as 




feature types (tables), or filters. In some cases, MapInfo Professional won't be able to deal with 

the server, since necessary information cannot be found. In other cases, MapInfo Professional 

may miss functionality that the server is trying to provide, such as filters. 

• Support HTTP GET and/or HTTP Post for the DescribeFeatureType and GetFeature 

requests. The MapInfo Professional client supports both HTTP GET and HTTP POST. The 

server should advertise what it accepts for each request in its GetCapabilities response. MapInfo 

Professional prefers HTTP POST for both operations, so if the server advertises that it supports 

both HTTP POST and HTTP GET methods for these operations, MapInfo Professional uses 

HTTP POST. 

• Supply the URL for both the DescribeFeatureType and GetFeature in their GetCapabilities 

response. The URL provided must be valid for that request. If the server provides an invalid 

URL, MapInfo Professional’s WFS client cannot work and displays a suitable error message. 

The DescribeFeatureType response should be: 

• An XML Schema that contains the information for the table specified only. If the server 

returns a schema that contains descriptions for multiple tables, MapInfo Professional cannot 

parse it correctly, and the operation will fail. 

• A Valid XML Schema. If not, no further operations can be allowed for that feature type. Without 

a valid schema, MapInfo Professional cannot create or populate the table. In this case you can 

either select another table, select another server, or cancel the WFS dialog box. 

� MapInfo Professional may not handle schemas that are “well formed” but contain 

invalid XML. 

MapInfo Professional checks that the schema returned for DescribeFeatureType is well formed 

XML, but does not validate the XML. Our WFS client works correctly with many servers that return 

schema's which contain invalid items, and our developers thought that eliminating these servers 

because they didn't contain 100% valid XML was too limiting. 

� MapInfo Professional cannot successfully handle schemas that contain invalid items, such as 

an invalid character in an element name - for example, "City Type" where the space in the 

element name isn't valid XML. 

While MapInfo Professional may be able to process a schema that contains well-formed but invalid 

XML, this may cause problems elsewhere, such as during the GetFeature processing. This may 

cause some confusion. If the XML returned during GetFeature doesn't match the schema, MapInfo 

Professional may create an empty table without displaying an error. 

MapInfo Professional: 

• Doesn't process xsd:include. All element types must be defined in the schema returned from 

the DescribeFeatureType request or derived from GML base types. 

• Supports all row filters that the server advertises in the GetCapabilities response with the 

following constraints: 

• The filters are OGC-defined filters as specified in the OGC WFS Specification or the OGC 

Filter Encoding Implementation specification. 

• The filter takes 0 or 1 arguments beyond the column name. This is a user interface 

constraint. MapInfo Professional’s interface is currently not set up to address such filters. 

This includes the A Between filter, which requires 2 values. 



Geocoding using a Geocoding Server 

• Supports MaxFeatures, but not all WFS servers seem to support this option. While the 

OGC WFS Specification states that the server should implement this option, our experience has 

been that some servers ignore MaxFeatures. 

• Treats the Geometry column as mandatory. While you can filter specific columns, MapInfo 

Professional always requests the Geometry column from the server. Many servers seem to treat 

the Geometry column as mandatory and return this column whether it is requested or not. 

� The GML returned during the GetFeature request should validate against the schema 

returned during the DescribeFeatureType request. If this is not the case, then MapInfo 

Professional may not be able to create a table. 

If a MapInfo WFS table is open, the user interface automatically enables the refresh process. During 

the refresh process, users can not change the query that is sent to the WFS server. The data will be 

refetched from the server using the original query. This refreshed information can then be saved to 

the table. 


• Adding a WFS Server 

• Adding WFS Client Support 

• Opening a Web Feature Service Layer 

• Selecting and Filtering a WFS Layer 

• Controlling WFS Maximum Features 

• Changing a WFS Coordinate System 

• Changing WFS Layer Styles 

• Handling Retrieved WFS Data 

• Refreshing your WFS Data 

• Adding Column Indices to WFS Tables 

• Overriding WFS Default Timeout Values Locally 

• Saving WFS Data Changes to the Server 


Not everyone in a flood zone loses their homes in a disaster. Accuracy in address matching 

(geocoding) can mean the difference between an insured being in a flood plain or on dry land. 

Knowing that information quickly and precisely can mean the difference in thousands of dollars of 

risk or no risk at all. 

For retail customers, an advanced geocoder could be the difference between finding your product in 

a local store or wasting a trip. 

For financial services customers, it could mean locating your best customers quickly when you have 

an opportunity to share with them. 

You can use MapInfo Professional to connect to MapMarker and Envinsa servers to handle 

advanced geocoding functions. 




Geocoding is the process of assigning geographic coordinates to your data, which can be street 

addresses. Point values assigned to each address turn each record into a geographic object that 

MapInfo Professional can display on a map. Visualizing your records on a map can make the 

relationships among your data clearer. You can display your geocoded records against a street 

map, a postal code centroid map, a county map, or whatever is most appropriate to your needs. You 

can then use the wide variety of functions available in MapInfo Professional mapping software to 

perform querying, create thematic maps, create territories, and perform many other types of 

geographic analysis. 

Using the MapMarker and Envinsa Web Services, you have more choices for geocoding. For 

example, you can choose to geocode your records by street address or by postal code centroid, or 

by geographic centroids. If you have geocoded some records and some did not geocode 

successfully, you can set fallback conditions to locate those records. If you geocode and there are 

no results, poor results, or multiple equal close results, the geocoding server can present you with 

interactive options so you can select among possible matches or change your input. Further, these 

web services allow you to set multiple matching conditions when more than one record matches the 

records you are geocoding and set offsets for placing points right in the geocode properties. 

For companies and organizations that use MapMarker and Envinsa servers as a geocoding engine, 

you can take advantage of the geocoding servers available to your whole enterprise. If your 

organization makes this server available on your intranet or over the Internet, you can use our 

geocoding web services from within MapInfo Professional to perform more sophisticated and 

accurate data geocoding. 

� IMPORTANT: Pitney Bowes Software Inc. may not have a Geocoding Server with data that 

includes the geography you are interested in. Please check with your local Pitney Bowes 

Software Inc. sales personnel to ensure that web services exist for your geography. 

What Are MapMarker and Envinsa Geocoding Services? 

MapMarker is a powerful geocoding product that assigns coordinates to an address based on how 

well it matches entries in an Address Dictionary. The precision of the match can vary. For each 

address you geocode, you may get back a single perfect, street-level match, a list of street-level 

match candidates from which you choose the best match, or a less precise postal code centroid 

match, where the point would be located near the center of the postal code area. In the case of a ZIP 

+ 4 centroid match, the location of the point corresponds to the address which is closest to the midaddress 

of the ZIP + 4 address range. You must have MapMarker 4.0 core to use this web service. 

Envinsa provides a wider range of web services than MapMarker and can even provide access to 

earlier versions of MapMarker. Envinsa can determine these values from a street address or postal 

code. Envinsa servers require more security than MapMarker, so you will need a user name and 

password to access them. Keep in mind that the services that are available on an Envinsa server 

depends on what was installed. 

There are many reasons why using a geocoding service with MapInfo Professional is a good 

business solution. 




• Multiple Data Formats OK! Since MapInfo Professional can import or open data in many different 

formats, you can geocode almost any kind of geographically enabled file. You can take 

advantage of MapMarker or Envinsa’s advanced geocoding options using Shapefiles, Excel 

files, ASCII, Access tables, Oracle and SQL Server tables. 

• Data filtering. You can use the selection and subselection capabilities of MapInfo Professional to 

create input for the service using any MapInfo Professional "table," including queries created 

using SQL Select or tools. For example, if you want to geocode your data based on more than 

one column, you can specify an input address based on a MapBasic expression that could skip 

irrelevant characters. 

• Geocode a Little or a Lot. You can geocode individual records or in batch mode. 

• Choose your own Symbols. You have the full range of MapInfo Professional symbols to choose 

from when plotting your points, or you can create your own custom symbols for the points you 

are geocoding. 

• Undo works! Because all of the geocoded results are transacted, you can use MapInfo 

Professional’s revert capabilities to undo the transactions. You can save the geocoded results in 

the source table or into a completely new table. 

� IMPORTANT: Pitney Bowes Software Inc. may not have online services with data that 



Geocoding a Single Address using a Geocoding Service 

The process for geocoding a single address for an Envinsa or MapMarker service. Keep in mind that 

you must set up a geocoding service before you can use this type of geocoding. See Setting up a 

Geocoding Server on page 209 and Setting the Geocoding Server Preferences on page 203 

for these instructions. 

• For specific instructions, see Geocoding a Single Address using a Geocoding Service in the 

Help System. 

Understanding the Geocoding Result Codes 

The geocoding service returns a result code for each address it attempts to match. The code 

indicates whether a match was made, the type of match it was, and conveys information about the 

quality of the match. The result code is an alphanumeric code of 1-10 characters. There are four 

categories: 

• Single close match to street level (S category) 

• Postal Code centroid match (Z category) 

• Multiple matches during automatic geocoding (M category) 

• Non-matches (N category) 

Matches in the M category indicate that there is more than one match candidate for the record and 

the geocoding service has chosen the best one of those candidates. This category displays when 

you select the automatic option and the geocoding service finds more than one strong match 

candidate. 




For S and Z categories, the first two characters represent the positional accuracy of the match, that 

is, where the point for the record would spot on a street map. For the S category matches there are 

eight additional characters that indicate the individual components in the input address that 

matched. If the geocoding service did not match on a particular address component, the code would 

contain a dash for that element. For example, a single close match to a street address that matched 

to all address components except house number would look like: S5-PNTSCZA. 

S Category: Single Close Match to Street Level 

S6 matched to a point located at a Postal Code centroid 

S5 matched to a street address 

S4 matched to an interpolated point on the street segment 

S3 matched to a Secondary Postal Code centroid (centerpoint of the Secondary Postal 

Code boundary) 

S2 matched to a Primary Postal Code centroid (centerpoint of the Primary Postal Code 

boundary) 

S1 matched to a Postal Code centroid (centerpoint of the Postal Code boundary) 

SX matched to a street intersection 

S0 single close match, no coordinates available 

H matched to house number 

P matched to street prefix 

N matched to street name 

T matched to street type 

S matched to street suffix 

C matched to city name 

Z matched to ZIP Code 

A or U match came from MapMarker Address Dictionary (A) or customized user 

dictionary (U) 

Z6 Postal Code centroid match 

Z Category: Postal Code Match 

Z3 Secondary Postal Code centroid match 

Z2 Primary Postal Code centroid match 


Z1 Postal Code centroid match 

Z0 Postal Code match, no coordinates available 

M Category: Multiple Automatic Matches 

M1 multiple matches, point located at Postal Code centroid 

M2 multiple matches, point located at Primary Postal Code centroid 


Creating Routing Distance and Time Buffers 

M3 multiple matches, point located at Secondary Postal Code centroid 

M4 multiple matches, point located at the center of a shape point path (shape points define 

the shape of the street polyline) 

M5 multiple matches, point located at a street address position (highest accuracy available) 

M6 multiple matches, point located at point Postal Code location 

MX multiple matches, point located at street intersection 

M0 multiple matches, no coordinates available 

N No close match 

N Category: Non-matches 

• For specific instructions and related topics, see Geocoding a Table using a Geocoding Service in 



To find out how many customers are within ten minutes drive of your stores to find all of the suppliers 

within 15 to 30 miles of your warehouse location, use a Driving Regions web service. 

The Drivetime web service uses the latest road networks and fast search algorithms to show the 

buffer boundaries in time (isochrone) or distance (isodistance) from a specified location. These 

buffers are different from other MapInfo Professional object or table buffers because they are based 

on road networks and not straight line distances. Driving region time and distance buffers are 

calculated based on the speed limits of the individual roads and highways in the road network and 

the distance or time values you request. Isochrones and isodistances are collectively called 

isograms. 

You can only access this Drivetime data and calculation functionality on an Envinsa 4.0 routing 

server. The Driving Regions web service helps you create isochrone and isodistance buffers using 

points in your own data. 

An isochrone or a time buffer is a region that shows the area that a driver can reach from a starting 

point in a specific amount of time based on the speeds specified in the routing network. For 

example, if you wanted to put together an event and invite the customers who live within an hour’s 




drive of the event site, you could create a time buffer for known customers within an hour’s drive. 

The service would then use the average driving speeds defined in the road network to calculate the 

time buffer from your event. You can then display your data within those buffer regions using a 

Select or SQL Select statement. 

An isodistance or a distance buffer is a region that shows the area that a driver can reach from the 

starting point in the same distance. For example, if you want to contact all of the customers who live 

within 50 miles of the event instead of one hour, you could calculate the distance using the Drivetime 

web service, using similar logic. 

Effectively, you are creating buffers from a point or table of points based on the server’s road 

network for specified times or distances. Using the Driving Region service options, you can control 

the way this information displays and the number of time and distance buffers you create at a time. 

• For more information, see Creating Time or Distance Buffers for a Table and Rules when Adding 

a Driving Value in the Help System. 

How are Time and Distance Buffers Calculated? 

This is a raster map of a portion of a major city, but it could just as easily be your community. 

You can travel further on a limited access highway than a local road in the same 

amount of time due to the difference in speed limits. 

In it, you can see limited access highways, major roads with buildings on them, and local streets with 

homes. The speed limits on these streets vary depending upon their size and use. The routing 

server manages the speeds for each road type and uses those speeds to calculate the distance a 

driver could travel in a specific amount of time. For example a driver could get further in an hour on a 

highway, than on a local road, due to the average speed limits on those roads. 




If you think of these speed limits and distances in spatial terms, starting from a particular point, the 

region the web service could create along a highway would be longer and narrower than the region 

you would create using a more local road based on the same amount of time or distance request. 

That is the concept behind the Driving Region functionality. 

Using Driving Region Buffers to Display Data 

You can create a driving region buffer (time or distance) to find out how far away your customers are 

from a particular event or location. We recommend that you add a server as described in the Setting 

the Routing Server Preferences instructions before attempting to create time or distance buffers. 

Here are some definitions that may be useful for you as you use this feature. 

Holes 

Areas within the larger boundary that cannot be reached within the specified time or 

distance, based on the road network. 

Island 

Small areas outside the main boundary that can be reached within the specified time or 

distance. 

Offroad Travel 

Offroad travel refers to streets that are not part of the server’s road network, such as 

driveways, private roads, or access roads. 

Creating Time or Distance Buffers for Objects 

You can use a routing server’s driving regions network to create time or distance buffers around 

map objects to see your data in a new way. Keep in mind that these buffers are not like standard 

straight line circle buffers, but are rather based on the speed that a driver can travel on a particular 

road network. If you want to create time and distance buffers for an entire table of objects, see 

Creating Time or Distance Buffers in the Help System. 

Before you begin this process, we recommend that you set up your own default routing server using 

the instructions in Setting the Routing Server Preferences on page 205. If you do not have 

access to your own routing server, you can access and subscribe to Envinsa Online Services from 

Pitney Bowes Software Inc. to take advantage of this functionality. To activate your free Envinsa 

Online Services trial account, see Accessing Envinsa Online Services on page 413. 




• For specific instructions and related topics, see creating Time or Distance Buffers for Objects in 



Accessing Envinsa Online Services 


Accessing Envinsa Online Services 

If you want to try out these Geocoding or Driving Region features, but don’t have access to a 

MapMarker or an Envinsa server, Pitney Bowes Software Inc. is providing both trial and subscription 

access to our public Envinsa server, called Envinsa Online Services or EOLS. 

There are two ways to access these web services from within MapInfo Professional. First, when you 

enter the geocoding or driving regions dialog boxes for the first time, the Configure Service dialog 

box displays. 

To sign up for this service click Activate and follow the instructions to receive a user ID and 

password, which you can enter into this dialog box. Decide whether you want the system to 

remember your password1 and whether you want to use a secure server 2 . Then click Add Account 

to begin using the EOLS server. 

You can also access the EOLS through the Help menu. Select Help > Connect to Envinsa Online 

Services to get started. A landing page will provide you with further instructions, including user 

name and password information. When you complete your trial period, the Envinsa Online Services 

will stop accessing the server and you will have the option of subscribing for further use of this 

service. 




1. The password will be saved in the MapInfo services configuration file (MIROUTINGSERVERS.XML). These 

passwords are encrypted. 

2. When you choose the secure connection option, you add the step of encrypting all of the communication to 

and from the server. Consider whether you prefer this option to the standard HTTP connection. 


Enhancing Map Data using a Mapping Tile Server 



A tile server is a server that contains a collection of raster tile images. The tiles cover a given place 

on the earth. Tiles are organized in a row/column grid fashion. There are also multiple levels of tiles. 

Each level represents a different resolution of data, covering the same place on the earth. The level 

determines the number of tiles (number of rows and columns). As you zoom in or out, the level of 

data may change. As you pan around, the specific tiles that are needed may change. 

MapInfo Professional lets you use tile server data within the product. If you add a tile server layer to 

a MapInfo Professional map, then the application takes care of fetching the appropriate tiles from the 

server and displaying them. You only need to add the tile server layer and then pan/zoom. 

For more about using raster images as a backdrop for maps, see Using Raster Images as a 

Backdrop for MapInfo Professional Maps on page 326. 

About Tile Server Tables and Map Layers 

MapInfo Professional has a table for tile servers that consists of a TAB file and XML file. These files 

contain the information necessary to communicate with a tile server and retrieve tiles correctly. This 

information includes server URL, coordinate system and bounds, and other parameters for retrieving 

the proper tiles. 

After opening a tile server table in MapInfo Professional, you can add it as a layer to a map. Tile 

server layers act as an underlying base map, so they are added to the bottom of the layer list by 

default. Tile server layers do not have attribute data, so they cannot be edited and labeled. They are 

meant to be used as backdrop images. 

Tile Server Display Properties 

Display properties can alter the appearance of the tiles returned from a tile server. Tile server 

images are rendered using the same display attributes as raster images. This includes: 

• Translucency 

• Transparency – on/off and transparent color 

• Brightness 

• Contrast 

• Grayscale versus color 

Tile Server Coordinate System and Reprojection 

Tile server layers do not support raster image reprojection. This means that a map's coordinate 

system will be set to use the tile server coordinate system if a tile server layer is visible in a map. If 

the map displays tiles from two different tile servers in different projection systems, then MapInfo 

Professional uses the projection system of the tile that is most visible on the map. 

You cannot change the map coordinate system when a map has an active tile server layer. 


Tile Server Authentication 



Since the tile server functionality uses internet connectivity to obtain the images to draw, it is 

possible that the connection may require layers of authentication. If authentication is required, 

MapInfo Professional prompts you when the tile server table is opened. If the authentication fails, the 

table does not open. 

Setting up a Mapping Tile Server Table 

MapInfo Professional provides access to the Microsoft Bing tile server, so there is no setup required 

to access it (see Adding a Microsoft Bing Layer to a Map on page 417). For all other tile servers, 

you must specify the exact information to use through a MapBasic command called Create Table. 

To setup a tile server table: 

1. Choose Options > Show MapBasic Window. The MapBasic window displays. 

2. Use one of the following examples as a template to create a tile server table. Copy and paste the 

command in to the MapBasic window and then update the command with your information 

(change the text in bold in these examples). Run the command by pressing the Enter key. 

MapInfo Developer tile server 

Create Table MIDev_TileServer 

File "MIDev_TileServer" 

Type TILESERVER 

TileType "LevelRowColumn" 

URL 

"http://INSERT_SERVER_NAME_HERE/MapTilingService/MapName/{LEVEL}/{ROW} 

:{COL}/tile.gif" 

AttributionText "required attribution text" 

Font("Verdena",255,16,0,255) 

StartTileNum 1 

MaxLevel 20 

Height 256 

CoordSys Earth Projection 10, 157, 7, 0 Bounds(-20037508.34,- 

20037508.34) (20037508.34,20037508.34) 

MapXtreme.NET tile server: 

Create Table MXT_TileServer 

File "MXT_TileServer" 

Type TILESERVER 

TileType "LevelRowColumn" 

URL 

"http://INSERT_SERVER_NAME_HERE/TileServer/MapName/{LEVEL}/{ROW};{COL} 

/tile.png" 

AttributionText "required attribution text"Font("Calibri",255,16,0,255) 

MaxLevel 20 

Height 256 

RequestTimeout 90 

ReadTimeout 60 

CoordSys Earth Projection 10, 157, 7, 0 Bounds(-20037508.34,- 

20037508.34) (20037508.34,20037508.34) 




Items in bold in these examples are necessary information that you supply for accessing a specific 

tile server: 

• Table is the name of the table as you want it to appear in MapInfo Professional. 

• Type is the name of the tile server this table will use (currently supports "LevelRowColumn"). 

This value represents the way the Tile Server retrieves the tiles. 

• URL is the fully qualified URL to request a tile from a tile server. The URL will contain tags that 

are special strings that will be used to retrieve particular tiles. The placement depends on server 

URL syntax requirements. 

• {LEVEL} will be used internally to specify the level number (Z-value) 

• {ROW} will be internally to specify the tile row number (Y-value) 

• {COL} will be internally to specify the tile column number (X-value) 

• AttributionText is the attribution text that will be displayed on the map window. A font_clause 

can be used to set the font style when the attribution text will be displayed. The attribution text 

should be the attribution legally required by the provider of the server. 

Syntax details for the Create Table command are provided in the MapBasic Reference and in the 


MapInfo Professional cannot reproject a tile server, so it will reproject the map to match the 

coordinate system of the tile server data. You are unable to change the coordinate system for the 

map when it includes a tile server layer. 

Adding a Tile Server Layer to your Map 

To add a tile server layer to your map (using the same way you add any other TAB file as a layer in 

a map): 

1. Open the tile server table by selecting File > Open. The Open dialog box displays. 

2. From the Files of type drop-down list, choose MapInfo (*.tab). 

3. From the Look in list, navigate to where the tile server file is, select it from the list, and then click 

Open. The tile server displays as the bottom-most layer on the map. 

If the tile server table is open, and you want to add it to one of several maps that you currently have 

open, then: 

1. Open the Layer Control by selecting Map > Layer Control. 

2. In the Layer Control list, select the map name to add the tile server layer to and click the Add 

Layers button. 

3. In the Add Layer dialog box, select the tile server table and click OK. 

The tile server displays as the bottom-most layer on the map and as a tile server layer in the Layer 

Control list. 


Adding a Microsoft Bing Layer to a Map 



With a single click, you can easily add either a Microsoft Bing Aerial or Microsoft Bing Hybrid layer to 

a map. You do not need to open the Bing table prior to adding it to the map. If the current window is 

a map, MapInfo Professional adds the Bing layer to it. If the current window is not a map or there are 

no windows open, then MapInfo Professional creates a new map with the Bing layer. 

The Bing tile server may require that you have a valid license to access it. If you see a message that 

your Microsoft Bing service has expired, then contact your Pitney Bowes Business Insight 

representative to learn about renewal options. 

To open and add Bing Aerial or Bing Hybrid (not roads) to a map: 

• From the File menu, click Add Bing Aerial to Map or click Add Bing Hybrid to Map. Or select 

the Bing Arial tool or Bing Hybrid tool on the Standard toolbar. 

The menu and toolbar items are always enabled except when the TAB file is missing, then the 

menu and toolbar item is disabled. MapInfo Professional checks for the presence of the TAB 

file(s) only once, during program startup. 

The map refreshes and displays the tile server layer as a base image (the bottom layer of the map). 

� MapInfo Professional opens a Bing Roads table as a Bing Hybrid table. You may create a 

Bing Roads tables using either the MapBasic Create Table command or by another means, 

MapInfo Professional converts it to Hybrid to display it on a map. 

Table Names and Location 

There are two tables for Bing Aerial and Bing Hybrid installed in to a subdirectory called TileServer 

where MapInfo Professional is located. The files are: 

• BingAerial.tab 

• BingAerial.xml 

• BingHybrid.tab 

• BingHybrid.xml 

Setting Tile Server Layer Properties 

Tile server layers offer the ability to alter display attributes of the image tiles. These are the same 

properties that are supported for raster layers and include: translucency, transparency, brightness, 

contrast and grayscale. 

To access layer properties for a tile server layer: 

1. Open the Layer Control window by selecting Map > Layer Control. 

2. Select a tile server layer in the Layer Control list. 

3. Click the Layer Properties button. 

4. Check the Style Override check box. 




5. Click the style button (below the Style Override check box). The Adjust Image Styles dialog box 

displays. 

6. Change the image properties to suit your needs. 

Tile server layers may be set as translucent. 

� The sample image shown in this dialog is based on the current view in the map. If you wish to 

see a different sample image in this dialog, you will need to change the map view prior to 

bringing up this dialog. You may wish to change the view/image if selecting a transparent 

color because the transparent color picker selects a color from the sample image. 


Specialized Topics in 


The topics in this chapter cover the advanced use of MapInfo Professional. 

There are more advanced topics pertaining to embedding maps in other 

applications, Internet connectivity, working with the MapBasic window, 

redistricting, and digitizing maps in the MapInfo Professional Help System. 


� Embedding MapInfo Professional Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .420 

� Internet Connectivity and MapInfo Professional. . . . . . . . . . . . .423 

� Redistricting — Grouping Map Objects into Districts . . . . . . . .425 

� Creating Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .428 

� Working with the MapBasic Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .440 

16

Embedding MapInfo Professional Maps 

Chapter 16: Specialized Topics in MapInfo Professional 


MapInfo Professional brings its power of map display, creation and editing right into your favorite 

application so that you may build a map where you need it. This chapter covers the basics of OLE 

and the MapInfo Professional features that you may use in other applications to create dynamic 

maps. 

MapInfo Professional’s OLE embedding capability turns your applications such as word processors 

and spreadsheets into “mini-MapInfo” programs where you can create, display and edit a map for 

presentation, reporting or publishing. OLE is a process known as Object Linking and Embedding 

whereby a server application (such as MapInfo Professional) provides information that is stored in a 

client application that can accept OLE information (such as a word processor). MapInfo 

Professional’s OLE embedding functionality allows you to embed a Map window in any application 

that accepts OLE objects and use some of MapInfo Professional’s features to create, display and 

edit the map directly in that application. 

With MapInfo Professional OLE Embedding you can build the map directly in your OLE container 

application, or you can create it in MapInfo Professional and drag the Map window into your 

application for additional editing or output. Because the MapInfo Map Object is a live OLE object, 

you are in fact running MapInfo Professional in the background. When the Map window is active in 

the container, the menu and toolbar of your application change to reflect the MapInfo Professional 

features that become available. This subset of features is called MapInfo Map. (Some OLE 

containers will create a separate window for the object.) With the click of a button or by choosing a 

menu command, you have MapInfo Professional functionality in your application where you need it. 

• For more information about OLE features and requirement in MapInfo Professional, see the 


What You Should Know First 

Before you get started, it is good to review the system requirements and the registration statement 

to ensure that you understand where to look for your MapInfo Map Objects. 

System Requirements 

MapInfo Map is an OLE server application that runs under 32-bit MapInfo Professional. You must 

install MapInfo Professional 32-bit to engage MapInfo Map. On the client side, only container 

applications that support OLE embedded objects can run MapInfo Map. 

Registering OLE Objects with Containers 

Once MapInfo Professional has been installed on your system, the MapInfo Map Object will be 

registered automatically and listed as a choice in the Object dialog box of any container application 

that accepts OLE objects. 




Menus and Commands Available While Using the MapInfo Map 

MapInfo Map replaces all container menus except File and Window with five MapInfo Professional 

menus: Edit, View, Table, Map and Help. Under each menu, selected MapInfo Professional 

features have been included, as outlined in this section. This section contains summaries of MapInfo 

Map’s menu commands and tools. Be sure to refer to other chapters in this Guide and the rest of the 

MapInfo Professional documentation set for more complete discussions. 

• For more about the specific commands available when working with Map windows, see the Help 

System. 

Limitations of OLE 

Although MapInfo Map enables you to build a map very easily in your container application, not all of 

MapInfo Professional’s features are available in the context of map embedding. Among them are 

editing map objects such as regions or polylines, querying a table for further analysis, geocoding to 

a table in the Map window, or displaying tables in other types of windows (Browser, Graph or Layout 

windows). 

However, with MapInfo Professional’s drag and drop capabilities you can still perform these 

functions in MapInfo Professional and bring over the Map window to your OLE container application 

for final viewing, formatting and editing enhancements. 

Working with Embedded Maps 

Now that you have had an introduction to MapInfo Map Object and what it can do for you as you 

work in another application, let’s get down to the specifics of embedding an OLE object. 

� You need to specify what gets copied to the clipboard. See Setting Your Copy to Clipboard 

Preferences on page 169. By default, you cannot copy a map until you set this preference. 

Although containers vary in their handling of OLE objects, there are some behaviors that are 

common to all. There are three ways that containers accept embedded OLE objects such as a Map 

window: 

• On the Insert menu, click Object to choose the object to embed from a list. 

• On the Edit menu, click Paste (or Paste Special) to embed an object that was previously copied 

to the Clipboard. 

• Drag and drop from the application to the container using the Drag Map Window tool. 

The method you choose depends on which application you are in at the moment (server or client) 

and how much you want to do to create the final map. 

• For more information and related topics, see Creating a New Map Window in your Container and 

Bringing a Map Window into your Application in the Help System. 


Sharing Documents with Embedded Maps 



Once you have created a map in your document, you may want to share it with a colleague. Or you 

might want to use it on another system. When the document is opened on another system, the 

MapInfo Map Object displays as a metafile, or picture of the map, in the inactive state. The map is 

like any other graphic image at this point. If no map editing is necessary, the document can be 

printed, reformatted, reorganized, and saved with no special handling required for the map. The map 

itself can even be resized or repositioned. You cannot, however, change the content of the map 

since it is not an active OLE object. 

To activate the map for editing on another system, your colleague must have access to 32-bit 

MapInfo Professional and the data used to create the map. Double-click the map to activate the OLE 

object. MapInfo Professional will prompt for the location of the data files if it cannot find the original 

location. If the data is not available, cancel out of the Locate Data dialog box. The metafile image is 

replaced with the MapInfo Professional world map in the active state. To retrieve the original metafile 

image, close the document without saving and reopening it. 

� Sharing MapInfo Professional and map data on other systems is limited to the extent of your 

license agreement(s). 

• For more information, see MapInfo Map Objects vs. Data Map Objects in the Help System. 

Using MapInfo Tables with Data Map 

Data Map uses MapInfo Professional tables. All of the sample maps provided with Data Map are 

actually MapInfo Professional tables. 

If you have created your own MapInfo Professional tables, you can use your tables in Data Map. 

However, before you can display your table in Data Map, you must set up your table using the Data 

Map Data Installer. To launch the Data Installer, double-click the file DATAINST.EXE. (To locate this 

file, click the Windows Start button, and then click Find.) Once you have launched the Data 

Installer, complete the dialog boxes that appear on the screen. 

Note that some MapInfo Professional tables cannot be used with Data Map. Specifically: 

• Data Map cannot display raster image underlay tables. 

• Data Map cannot display a table that is actually defined as a relational join of other tables (such 

as a Pitney Bowes Software Inc. StreetPro table). To use a street table with Data Map, use 

MapInfo Professional’s Save Copy As command, which saves a street table in a “flat” form that 

Data Map can use. 

• Data Map cannot display point objects that use MapInfo Professional “Custom” symbol styles. 

(Custom symbols are selected by displaying MapInfo Professional’s Symbol Style dialog box, 

and then selecting “Custom Symbols” from the Font drop-down list.) If your MapInfo Professional 

table contains points with custom symbol styles, those points will be invisible in Data Map. 

For more information about Data Map, see the Data Map online Help. For more information about 

the Data Installer, see the Data Installer online Help. 


Internet Connectivity and MapInfo Professional 



MapInfo Professional contains options that allow you to bring the Internet into your mapping 

sessions, and to bring your maps to the Internet. 

Using active objects and the HotLink tool, you can launch files and Internet URLs directly from 

objects or labels on your map. Active objects provide you with a powerful display tool that allows you 

to bring information from the Web and other applications together in your map. 

These additional sources of information can give your analysis or presentation greater impact. For 

example, you can link a location on your map to a Web site that gives more information about the 

location or to an image file that shows certain aspects of the location in more detail. 

In addition, you can use the maps you create in MapInfo Professional in your Web pages. The HTML 

Image Map tool converts a MapInfo Professional map into an HTML image map. Visitors to your 

Web page will be able to click any region to link to other HTML pages specific to that region. 

What Are Active Objects? 

Active objects are map objects that are associated with files or URLs. The file can be a bitmap, a 

MapInfo Professional workspace or table, a MapBasic program, or any type of executable file whose 

extension is associated with an application installed on your system. 




The active object in this map (red triangle) is linked to a webcam web site that displays 

an erupting volcano. 

The Help System contains these and other related topics: 

• Adding URL Information to your Table 

• Combining a District’s Objects 

• Creating Active Objects 

• Creating Multiple HotLinks in a Map 

• Using the HotLink Tool in a Map Window 

• Saving a New District and Exiting the Redistricter 

HTML Landing Pages 

The Landing Pages option allows you to click any region in the HTML image map and link to an 

HTML landing page specific to that region. You can put whatever content you want into the landing 

pages, including column information from your table. The user interface enables you to select the 

columns you want to use and customize the text. 

• For more about selecting columns for landing pages and Tooltips, see the Help System. 



Redistricting — Grouping Map Objects into Districts 


One popular use of MapInfo Professional is to group map objects with a common field into districts 

or territories. MapInfo Professional’s Redistricting feature allows you to create new districts, realign 

existing districts, all the while doing calculations of the attached data on the fly for instant analysis 

and decision-making. 

What is Redistricting and How Can I Use It? 

Redistricting is the process of assigning map objects to groups. As you assign map objects to 

groups, MapInfo Professional automatically calculates totals for each group of objects, and displays 

the totals in a special Browser window called the Districts Browser. This process is sometimes 

known as load-balancing. 

When you perform redistricting, you create a number of districts. The exact number of districts 

needed depends on the nature of your work. You can assign a unique name to each district; thus, if 

you want to work with four districts, you might call the districts Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, and 

Southwest. Each district appears as one row in the Districts Browser. 

The Districts Browser is different from other Browser windows in several respects: 

• You only can select one row at a time from the Districts Browser. You cannot shift-click to 

select multiple rows. 

• The Districts Browser always has one row selected; you cannot cancel the selection of this 

row by choosing Unselect All. 

• When you select a row from the Districts Browser, that row becomes the target district. The 

target district is the district that will be affected by subsequent redistricting operations. 

Once you have selected a target district, you assign map objects to that district by selecting the map 

objects. You can select objects by pointing and clicking, or by performing queries such as SQL 

Select. 

When you select map objects, MapInfo Professional tentatively assigns the selected objects to the 

target district. MapInfo Professional then recalculates the totals for each district, and displays the 

new totals in the Districts Browser. You can then examine the contents of the Districts Browser to 

decide whether you want to make the district assignments permanent. 

To cancel the tentative district assignment, cancel the selection of the map objects. 

To make the tentative district assignment permanent, choose Redistrict > Assign Selected 

Objects. When you choose Assign Selected Objects, MapInfo Professional stores the target 

district's name in the rows of the selected objects. Thus, if you assign map objects to a district called 

Northwest, MapInfo Professional stores Northwest in each object's row. 

Each district has its own set of fill, line, and symbol styles. When you assign a map object to a 

district, the object subsequently appears in the style of the district. Thus, if you choose a solid blue 

fill for the Northeast district, objects that you assign to Northeast appear in solid blue. 




For example, if you have a layer of states, you might want to combine the state boundaries to create 

sales territories. Each state record includes a field, TOT_SALES, which contains the total sales for 

the previous year. You would ultimately like to sum up the TOT_SALES field for each state in a 

given sales territory. Redistricting is gives you the tools for creating the sales territory and combining 

those TOT_SALES fields from each state’s data into one table. 

� The STATES table used in this example is from the MapInfo Professional Tutorial data, 

which is available from the Pitney Bowes Software Inc. web site, 


But that is only one part of the redistricting process. The real power lies in the Districts Browser 

where you can see on-the-fly updates of district record counts and data totals when you click a map 

object and assign it to another district. This allows you to perform visual “what if” analysis to achieve 

district realignments, a process sometimes referred to as load balancing. 

When you are satisfied with the distribution, you can make the district assignments permanent. 

Later, as the need arises, you can change the assignments and try out new distributions. 

Redistricting does not create new map objects or permanently change the style of the map objects. 

Redistricting is simply a dynamic grouping tool that displays map objects that share the same district 

information as a group. While the map objects are not permanently affected, you can make the 

district assignments permanent by saving the table. 

You can redistrict any mappable table containing region, line, or point objects. The redistrict map will 

reflect the appropriate fill, line, or symbol style for the objects. The Redistricter limits the number of 

districts in a table to 594. 

You can use redistricting in a wide variety of applications such as creating and managing sales 

territories, school or voter districts, emergency service coverage areas, delivery routes, natural 

resource management areas, etc. Use it wherever there is a high degree of fluctuating data and the 

need to try out different realignment scenarios. 

You can use redistricting whether you need to create districts from scratch or realign existing 

districts. 




Before we get into the process, however, there are two key concepts to introduce: the Districts 

Browser and Target District. 

Using the Districts Browser 

The Districts Browser is the key to the process of creating and changing districts. While looking like 

other Browsers in MapInfo Professional, the Districts Browser is actually a dynamic window that 

allows you to make changes to the groups and recalculates total values on the fly. You can 

immediately see the results of your changes. You then have the option to make the changes 

permanent or continue to try out new district realignments. 

The Browser window lists the districts as specified in your table, the record count for each district, 

and aggregate expression columns that contain the net total values of your data. You specify these 

columns in the New Redistrict window dialog box when you begin the redistricting session. 

• For more instructions about creating and adding redistricting features and other related topics, 

see the Help System. 

For additional topics in Redistricting, see Setting up the Target District in the Help System. 

Using Redistricting 

When you calculate the percentage of partial columns (such as population columns that cite income, 

gender, age, ethnic background, or religious affiliation) you have two calculation methods available. 

One method calculates the percentage by column so that the sum of all of the entries in every 

column would be 100%. Another method calculates the percentage by row based on your selected 

row entry (or sum of entries) so that each percentage entry in the row is calculated based on that 

row (or sum of entries). For example, in the following table: 

A B C 

1 1 1 

2 2 2 

The Column method determines the percentages of entries in Column A: 

Percentage (A1)=A1/(A1 + A2) x 100%; Percentage (A2)=A2/(A1 + A2) x 100% 

The Row method determines the percentage for entries A1 and B1 based on C1 as a total column: 



Creating Expressions 

Percentage (A1) = A1/C1 x 100%; Percentage (B1) = B1/C1 x 100% 

� Selecting a valid base entry (or the sum of the entries) is crucial to returning meaningful 

results. For example, if you choose a value in a population column and a base value from an 

income column, your results will not be meaningful. 

• For more information, see Creating New Districts and Redistricting using the Row Method in the 

Help System. 

Options in Redistricting 

To control the order of districts in the Districts Browser, on the Redistrict menu, click Options. The 

Redistricter Options dialog box displays. Choose your preferred sort order from among: most 

recently used, alphabetical, or unordered. You can also choose to show the Browser grid lines and 

save the options as your default. 

As mentioned earlier, the Most Recently Used option can greatly aid you if you have more districts 

than the Districts Browser can display in a window. Whenever you select a map object that belongs 

to a district that is not currently visible in the Browser, MapInfo Professional will move that record 

near the top of the Browser window. You can then more easily set the new target district or view the 

changes in the data fields as you carry out your load-balancing scenario. 

Changing the display of your districts is simple. Click the fill pattern, line style, or symbol in the 

Districts Browser that represents the district. The Region Style, Line Style, or Symbol Style dialog 

box displays, where you can change the tools used to display the district. 

To save the style changes, you must save the redistricting session as a workspace. Save Table will 

only save the district assignment changes. The styles belong to a thematic layer, not to the table 

itself. The district changes are applied to the table and, thus, can be saved to the table. 

Records with No Graphic Objects 

Redistricting involves grouping map objects into districts. If you are redistricting a table that contains 

records that do not have graphic objects associated with them, keep in mind that MapInfo 

Professional includes them as well in the Districts Browser. You cannot assign these records to new 

districts. They will affect your data calculations when you move objects into new districts. 

If you have numerous records without graphic objects in your table, it may be best to create and 

save a subset of the table and run the Redistricter on the new table. 


Formulating expressions is something like writing sentences. There is a vocabulary of words from 

which you can draw, and these words have to be combined according to syntactic rules. The syntax 

of expressions is much simpler than the syntax of English, and the vocabulary is vastly smaller. 

However, most of us have been using English for years and so it seems easy and natural whereas 

formulating expressions is, at first, sometimes a bit difficult. 




However, just as English has simple sentences and complex sentences, so there are simple 

expressions and complex ones. Even if you don’t get the hang of formulating complex expressions, 

you can still use all the MapInfo Professional commands that use expressions. That is because 

formulating simple expressions is very easy and, at the same time, allows you to work with your data 

in powerful ways. 

• Most of the procedural information for Creating Expressions is available in the Help System. 

Where Expressions Can Be Used 

Use the Expression dialog box to formulate mathematical and alphanumeric expressions in several 

MapInfo Professional dialog boxes. See the Help topic, Specifying an expression. 

Expressions are used in the following commands: Select, Update Column, Thematic Mapping, and 

Layer Control (double-click the layer and select from the Label with list on the Label Display tab). 

The expression serves a different purpose in different commands. 

For example: 

In the Select command the expression states a condition that a record in a table must meet in order 

to be included in a query table. 

• In Update Column the expression calculates a value that is then entered into a table. 

• In Thematic Mapping the expression calculates a value that is then displayed on a map. 

• In Label Options, you use expressions containing string functions to fine tune your labels. 

The expressions fall into two broad categories: 

• Expressions that must evaluate to true or false. 

• Expressions that simply calculate some value. 

Expressions that must evaluate to true or false always have a comparison operator and may have 

multiple clauses connected by logical operators. Use these expressions for selecting objects. 

Expressions that simply calculate some value never have a comparison operator and generally do 

not have multiple clauses. Use these expressions to calculate values for Thematic Mapping, Update 

Column, and Label With Column in Layer Settings. 

Constructing Simple Expressions 

You formulate expressions using column (field) names and constants (for example, specific data 

values), on the one hand, and functions and operators, on the other. Think of the column names and 

constants as nouns, and functions and operators as verbs, prepositions and conjunctions. You 

always need at least one column name or a constant in an expression. How many operators and 

functions you need depends on what you want to do with your expression. 

The simplest possible expression consists of a column name, for example: 

1. POP_1990 

2. STATE 




You could use such an expression in Thematic Mapping to indicate what data is to be represented 

on the map. In Update Column such an expression would tell MapInfo Professional what data to use 

in updating a column in the target table. 

Here are some slightly more complex expressions: 

1. POP_1990 > 17893 

2. POP_1990 ) some constant (17893). The second tests to see whether the value of 

one column, POP_1990, is less than or equal to () to test whether the 

Order_Amount column has a value greater than one hundred: 

Where Condition: Order_Amount > 100 

If a query includes the preceding Where Condition clause, MapInfo Professional selects only the 

rows that have an Order_Amount value greater than one hundred. 

The Where Condition field can contain two or more logical expressions if the expressions are 

separated by the word And or by the word Or. If the expressions are joined by the word And, 

MapInfo Professional only selects the rows that satisfy both criteria. If the expressions are joined by 

the word Or, MapInfo Professional selects any row that satisfies either criterion. 

Filter criteria can use any column in your base table(s), regardless of whether you included the 

column in the Select Columns field. 




Columns can be referred to by name or by number, where the number designates the order the 

column has in Select Columns. Thus, "col1" and "col6" refer to the first and sixth columns, 

respectively. The number must be preceded by the letters "col". 

• For more instructions and related topics, see the Using Expressions to Create a New Column 


Constructing Complex Expressions 

Now consider examples 9 and 10, that are a bit more complex than 1 through 8: 

1. POP_1990 > POP_1980*1.2 

2. round((POP_1980*1.2)/TOTAL_AREA,.1) 

We created expression 9 by taking expression 3 and replacing the constant “17893” with the whole 

of expression 6. Similarly, we created expression 10 by taking expression 8 and replacing 

“POP_1990” with expression 6. 

In general, you create complex expressions by combining simple expressions. Perhaps the best way 

to learn how to do this is look at some of the examples we have provided (above and following) and 

create your own expressions based on those examples. However, there are two very general 

techniques for creating complex expressions. 

• Replace a column name or a specific value with a simple expression. 

• Combine expressions using logical operators (and, not, or). 

Example six illustrates the first technique. There are many examples of the second technique 

throughout this entry. See particularly the discussion following Using Logical Operators in 

Expressions. 

Entering Specific Values (Constants) into Expressions 


MapInfo Professional dialog boxes. 

When entering specific character strings, numbers, and dates into expressions, you need to observe 

the following conventions. 

Character Strings in Expressions 

When typing a particular string into an expression you must enclose it in double quotes. MapInfo 

Professional then treats it as a string rather than as a column name. For example, strings 1 and 2 

shown below are valid string constants, while 3 and 4 are not. 

1. "Orange" 

2. "New York" 

3. Orange 

4. New York 


Numbers in Expressions 



When entering specific numerical values, do not use commas, dollar signs, or any characters other 

than numerals, decimal points, and the minus sign for negative numbers. You can use E to denote 

numbers in exponentiation. 

Date Values in Expressions 

Dates consist of a month, a day, and an optional year. The year is specified by two or four digits and 

enclosed in double quotes. The components of a date are separated by hyphens or slashes. If the 

year is not specified, it defaults to the year set on your computer's clock. The following are valid data 

constants: 

System 

Order What MapInfo Professional Expects 

M/d/yy 02/28/2005 

M/d/yyyy 02/28/2005 

MM/dd/yy 02/28/2005 

MM/dd/yyyy 02/28/2005 

yy/MM/dd 2005/02/28 

dd-MMM-yy 02-28-2005 

Using Mathematical Operators in Expressions 


MapInfo Professional dialog boxes. Mathematical operators are often used in creating expressions. 

The following chart shows the operator's symbol, name, example, and how the operators handle 

different data types. 

Symbol Description Example Detailed Example 

+ plus A + B Date + Number: Date 

04/01/2007 + 4: 04/05/2007 

FloatNumber + Date: Date 

4 + 232: 236 

- minus A - B (subtraction) 

-A (negative) 

Date - Number: Date 

Number - Date: Date 

236 - 4: 232 

some number - some number: Float 

* times A * B some integer * some integer: Integer 

some number * some number: Float 




/ divided by A / B some number / some number: Float 

^ exponentiation A ^ B some number ^ some number: Float 

The following calculations are possible: 

• Adding numbers to dates to yield another date. 

• Subtracting a number from a date to yield another date. 

• Subtracting a date from a date to yield a number. 

When you add numbers to dates or subtract numbers from dates, MapInfo Professional treats the 

numbers as specifying a number of days. When you add or subtract a week, you use the number 7. 

When you add or subtract a month, you use 30 or 31. When MapInfo Professional subtracts a date 

from a date, the result indicates a number of days. 

Using String Operators in Expressions 

+ “concatenation” — connects strings and string expressions. 

& (can be used if preceded by a space) 

Strings must be enclosed in double quotes. Consider the following example: 

”Ms.” + Last_Name 

When MapInfo Professional evaluates this as part of an expression it places “Ms. “in front of each 

last name. Note that the string constant (“Ms. “) is in quotes. Similarly, 

”Hello,” + ”world” 

gives you “Hello, world.” And 

”4”+”5” 

gives you “45.” 

Using Comparison Operators in Expressions 


MapInfo Professional dialog boxes. Comparison operators are often used in creating expressions. 

The following chart shows the comparison operator symbols and a description. 

Operators Description 

= “equals” 

“not equals” 

> “greater than” 


Operators Description 

< “less than” 

>= “greater than or equal to” 

65000 

Comment: Don’t add the dollar sign or comma. MapInfo Professional doesn’t know what to do with it 

and gives you an error message. 

English: All rows where the median age is 42. 

1. MED_AGE=42 

Comment: This expression selects only those records where the median age is exactly 42. When 

your median age data contains a decimal portion (which is the case for MapInfo Professionalsupplied 

demographic data) then it is unlikely that there are many regions with a median age of 

exactly 42. 

The following expression gives you better results: 

1. Round(MED_AGE, 1)=42 

Comment: The function “round(somenumber, somenumber)” rounds the first number in the way 

specified by the second. In this example, the first number is the median age (MED_AGE) and the 

second is 1, indicating that median age is to be rounded to the nearest whole number. 

English: All rows where the amount does not equal $23,000. 

1. AMOUNT23000 

Comment: You might want to use the Round function, as in 10, if you are not concerned that the 

value be exactly 23000. 


String Comparison 



String comparisons are based on the exact character content of the string. In this case “>” means 

“alphabetically greater than” (for example, comes after in the alphabet) and “”10–9–91” 

Comment: This expression does not select those received on October 9, 1991. When you want them 

as well: 

1. RECEIVED>=”10–9–91” 

English: Records for all received before August. 

1. Month(RECEIVED)



Comment: The column “Shipped” is a logical column. It contains “T” for true, or yes, and “F” for false, 

or no. When an order is shipped, it is marked “T”. Otherwise, it is not shipped. For orders that are 

shipped, expression 28 evaluates to true. For orders not shipped it evaluates to false. 

English: All that have not shipped. 

1. Str$(Shipped)=”F” 

2. Not Shipped 

Using Geographic Operators in Expressions 

MapInfo Professional has several geographic operators. Use them to select objects on the basis of 

their spatial relationship to some other object. MapInfo Professional has a special keyword you use 

with geographical operators: “obj” or “object”. This keyword tells MapInfo Professional that it has to 

get values based on the graphical objects in the table rather than the tabular data. 

The geographic operators go between the objects being specified. Select the geographic operators 

from the Operators menu. Here are the geographic operators: 

Contains Object A Contains object B if B’s centroid is anywhere within A’s boundary. 

Contains Entire Object A Contains Entire object B if B’s boundary is entirely within A’s boundary. 

Contains Part Object A Contains Part object B if B’s boundary is partly within A’s boundary. 

Within Object A is Within object B if its centroid is inside B’s boundary. 

Entirely Within Object A is Entirely Within object B if A’s boundary is entirely within B’s 

boundary. 

Partly Within Object A is Partly Within object B if A’s boundary is partly within B’s boundary. 

Intersects Object A Intersects object B if they have at least one point in common. 

“Contains Part” and “Partly Within” are exactly equivalent to “Intersects”—these are all treated the 

same way by MapInfo Professional, so the standard syntax “Intersects” is almost universally used. 

“Contains” and “Within” are concerned only with objects' centroids. 

“Contains Entire” and “Entirely Within” are concerned with the area covered by a region object; the 

location of the centroid doesn't matter. See examples in Using Geographic Operators in Expressions 



Using Logical Operators in Expressions 



“And”, “or”, and “not” are logical operators. You use them to combine expressions in Select and the 

Where Condition clause of SQL Select. MapInfo Professional treats each such an expression as a 

test, which it applies to each record in the table. For each test it gets a yes/no (true/false) answer. 

MapInfo Professional uses the logical operators to tell it how to combine the individual yes/no 

answers into an overall yes/no answer: Does the current record meet the selection condition? 

Operator Description 

and is “true” if (and only if) both of its arguments (the expressions it joins together) are 

true. A record must satisfy both of these conditions if it is to be selected. 

or is “true” if either one, or both, of its arguments (the expressions it joins together) 

are true. A record need satisfy only one of these conditions if it is to be selected. It 

is also selected if both of its conditions are satisfied. 

not is “true” if its argument (the expression it applies to) is false. A record is selected if 

it does not meet the stated condition. 

Suppose you want to select all properties that are worth $250,000 or more and are in Columbia 

county. Each record has to meet two criteria, each of which can be formulated as a simple 

expression: 

1. VALUE >= 250000 

2. COUNTY = “Columbia” 

You could perform one selection for all properties worth $250,000 or more. Then you could perform 

another selection on that result, looking for all properties in Columbia county. However, it is easier to 

combine the two operations into one using the logical operator “and”. 

1. COUNTY = “Columbia” and VALUE >= 250000 

When MapInfo Professional examines a record to see whether or not it meets the condition set by 

this expression, it makes the two tests: Does COUNTY equal Columbia? Is the VALUE equal to or 

greater than 250000? When the answer to both of these questions is true (or yes), then the record is 

accepted into the current selection. When the answer to one or both of the questions is no (or false), 

then the record is not accepted into the current selection. 




Now, what if you want all properties worth $250,000 or more and not in Columbia county? You can 

use “not” to negate the first clause of expression 33, yielding expression 34: 

1. not (COUNTY=”Columbia”) and VALUE>=250000 

Only records where the county is not Columbia satisfy the first clause of expression 34. Now 

consider expression 35: 

1. not (COUNTY=”Columbia” and VALUE>=250000) 

Expression 35 is simply the negation of expression 33. Any record that would satisfy 33 does not 

satisfy 35. Any record that does not satisfy 33 satisfies 35. 

You can use “or” when you want to specify alternative conditions, such as: 

1. COUNTY=”Columbia” or COUNTY=”Greene” 

Any record evaluated against this condition is accepted if its county is any one of the two specified 

counties. One could, of course, use numerical tests as well. For example: 

1. TOTAL_AREA>40 or VALUE>250000 

This tests to see whether the area is greater than 40 or the value is greater than 250000. When 

either one is true of a record, then that record is accepted into the selection. 

In formulating expressions using logical operators you have to be careful how you use them. The 

following expression, while it seems OK, does not work: 

1. COUNTY=“Columbia” or “Greene” 

Judging from its English translation—COUNTY equals Columbia or Greene—this expression should 

operate just like expression 36 and give us any record containing Columbia County or Greene 

County. But the rules of computational logic and the rules of English are a bit different. 

When MapInfo Professional reads expressions it reads them from left to right. One of the things it 

has to do is to determine how the items in the expression are grouped. Think of this operation as 

inserting parentheses into the expression. MapInfo Professional reads expression 35 as though it 

were grouped like expression 39, which is what we intend. 

It reads expression 38 as though it were grouped like 40, which is not at all what we want. 

1. (COUNTY=”Columbia”) or (COUNTY=”Greene”) 

2. (COUNTY=”Columbia”) or (”Greene”) 

Both 39 and 40 have the same first clause. But their second clauses (after the “or”) are quite 

different. The second clause of 40 is simply a literal string, “Greene.” By convention, MapInfo 

Professional evaluates a record against a literal string as being true if that record is not blank. When 

MapInfo Professional evaluates records against expression 40, all non-blank records are evaluated 

as true and be accepted into the selection. It does not make any difference how a record evaluates 

on the first clause. Any non-blank record evaluates as true on the second clause, and one “true” is 

all it takes to evaluate the entire expression as true. 

Let us consider one final example, which is the negation of expression 36: 

1. not (COUNTY=”Greene” or COUNTY=”Columbia”) 




Expression 39 is satisfied if the county is Greene or if it is Columbia, but not if it is Montgomery or 

Warren. Expression 41 is satisfied by any county other than Greene or Columbia, including 

Montgomery and Warren. 


• Numeric Clauses 

• String Clauses 

• Date Clauses 

• Keyword Clauses 

Understanding Operator Precedence 

When MapInfo Professional evaluates expressions it needs to know which components of an 

expression to evaluate first. This is called precedence. By convention, certain operators are 

assigned different levels of precedence. Those with the highest level are evaluated first. The 

following table lists MapInfo Professional’s operators in the order in which they are evaluated. 

Exponentiation evaluates from the right. This affects expressions with multiple exponents: 2 ^ -3 ^ -4 

= 2 ^ ( - (3 ^ (-4))) 

Operators at the same level of precedence are evaluated from left to right. 

Highest Priority: Parenthesis 

For example, the expression 3+4*2 produces a result of 11. That is because multiplication has a 

higher precedence than addition and is performed first, in effect: 

3+4*2= 

3+8= 

11 

We can add parenthesis to force MapInfo Professional to do the addition first: 

(3+4)*2= 

7*2= 

14 

Exponentiation 

Negation 

Multiplication, Division 

Addition, Subtraction 

Geographic operators, Comparison operators 

Not 

And 

Lowest Priority: Or 



Working with the MapBasic Window 

Now consider expression 60, which is intended to select all records July or September of 1989. 

1. year(RECEIVED)=89 and month(RECEIVED)=7 or month(RECEIVED)=9 

Because “and” has higher precedence than “or”, MapInfo Professional treats this expression as 

though “year(RECEIVED)=89 and month(RECEIVED)=7” was enclosed in parentheses. 

1. (year(RECEIVED)=89 and month(RECEIVED)=7) or month(RECEIVED)=9 

In this case, any record for July of 89 or for September of any year would be selected. That’s 

probably not what you want. However, by adding parentheses to the second expression, you can get 

this: 

1. year(RECEIVED)=89 and (month(RECEIVED)=7 or month(RECEIVED)=9) 

In this expression, the parentheses tell MapInfo Professional that “month(RECEIVED)=7” and 

“month(RECEIVED)=9” are alternatives in the second clause of the expression. MapInfo 

Professional treats this the same as it treats number 53 above. 

� When you are not sure how MapInfo Professional evaluates an expression with several 

operators, you should use parentheses to group elements as you want them. 

Using Functions in Expressions 

Functions take data values and perform some operation on them to produce a new value. Functions 

have the following form: 

SomeFunction(parameters) 

Most of MapInfo Professional’s functions take one or two parameters. A parameter can be a column 

or another expression. MapInfo Professional uses the keyword “obj” or “object” with the geographic 

functions: Area, CentroidX, CentroidY, ObjectLen, and Perimeter. This keyword tells MapInfo 

Professional that it has to get values based on graphical objects in the table rather than tabular data. 

• For more information about specific functions, see the Help System. 


This section allows advanced MapInfo Professional users to go behind the scenes and take 

advantage of functions that enhance the use of MapInfo Professional through the MapBasic window. 

MapBasic is MapInfo Professional’s programming language that allows you to customize and 

automate MapInfo Professional functionality. When MapBasic was created, the MapBasic Window 

feature was added to MapInfo Professional as a means of testing and debugging code for an 

application. It became apparent that the MapBasic window is also a useful tool to MapInfo 

Professional users for doing certain tasks such as complex selections and queries based on object 

information. 




The MapBasic window is limited to selected commands from the MapBasic programming language. 

The MapBasic window can take commands line by line. It does not include the capability for looping, 

interapplication communication, and other more complex commands. If you find yourself using the 

MapBasic window often, you may want to consider transferring your code to a MapBasic application 

that will automate the process. 

� There is a comprehensive list of MapBasic functions and statements you can use from the 

MapBasic window in the Help System. 

Accessing the MapBasic Window 

To access the MapBasic window, on the Options menu, click Show MapBasic Window. The 

MapBasic window displays on your screen. As with any other window, you may resize it or move it to 

a new location. The window allows you to enter MapBasic code or to view MapBasic code as it is 

generated by MapInfo Professional. 

To see how MapInfo Professional carries out a select statement: 

1. Open the MapBasic window and then open the WORLD table. 

2. On the Query menu, click Select. 

3. Type in the expression Pop_1994 > 1000000. Make sure that the Browse Results box is 

checked. 

4. Click OK. The syntax for these commands appears in the MapBasic window as follows: 

Open Table ”C:\MAPINFO\DATA\WORLD\WORLD.tab” Interactive 

Map From World 

select * from World where Pop_1994 > 1000000 into Selection 

browse * from Selection 

The first line is a result of opening the WORLD table. The second line of code is written 

automatically because the WORLD table displays in a Map window by default. The third line is the 

syntax for the select statement. The fourth line is the result of checking the Browse results box. 

You can also enter MapBasic commands into the MapBasic window. Position your cursor under the 

browse from Selection line. Type the following: 

Map from Selection 

Press Enter after the line, and the command executes. You should see your selection displayed in a 

Map window. 

As stated before, the MapBasic window was primarily designed to assist MapBasic programmers. 

You can statements and functions in the MapBasic window such as Buffer( ) function or Insert 

statement. 




Refer to the MapBasic Reference, which is located in the Documentation subfolder of your 

installation directory to find the appropriate usage and syntax for these statements and functions. It 

provides a comprehensive guide to MapBasic programming statements and functions along with 

examples. 



Running a MapBasic Program 

Use Run in the Tools menu to run a MapBasic program. MapBasic is a programming language that 

you can use to customize or automate Maplnfo Professional. To create MapBasic applications, you 

need the MapBasic compiler, which is a separate product. However, you do not need the MapBasic 

compiler to run a completed MapBasic application. 

MapInfo Professional comes with an assortment of completed MapBasic applications. Some 

examples include: 

• Symbol application (SYMBOL.MBX). Creates custom symbol shapes. 

• Scale Bar application (SCALEBAR.MBX). Annotates a map with a distance scale. 

• Named Views application (NVIEWS.MBX). Assigns a name to the current map view and use 

that name to return to that view later. 

• Overview application (OVERVIEW.MBX). Opens a second Map window that displays an 

overview of the current map (also referred to as an area detail map). 

To run a MapBasic application: 

1. Choose Tools > Run MapBasic Program. The Run MapBasic Program dialog box displays. 

2. Choose a directory. 

3. Choose an application from the list (MapBasic applications have an .mbx extension). 

4. Click OK. 

MapInfo Professional then runs the MapBasic application. 

Running a MapBasic Program Using a Startup Workspace 

You can use a startup workspace to run a MapBasic application. However, you cannot create this 

kind of workspace using Save Workspace As. When you want to run a MapBasic application in your 

startup workspace, you need to create the workspace with a text editor. 

1. Place the following into an ASCII file: 

!workspace 

!version 700 

run application "someprog.mbx" 

2. Replace “Someprog.app” with the name of the MapBasic application you want to launch from the 

startup workspace. 

3. Name this file STARTUP.WOR. 




4. Place this file in your MapInfo Professional program directory or in your home directory. 

The Help System contains these and other related topics: 

• Copying the Contents of the MapBasic Message Window 

• Issuing Commands through the MapBasic Window 

• Examples of MapBasic Programs 

• Creating Circles around Points using the MapBasic Window 




Directory of MapInfo 

Professional Shortcuts 

This section contains a comprehensive list of the shortcuts available in the 

MapInfo Professional application. You can create custom shortcuts by editing 

the MAPINFOW.MNU file using a text editor. 

CAUTION: Making changes to the MAPINFOW.MNU file may cause 

the default shortcuts you change to stop working. Make 

these changes carefully and record your changes so you 

can change them back, if necessary. 


� Shortcuts for File Menu Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .445 

� Shortcuts for Edit Menu Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .445 

� Shortcut to Tools Menu Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .445 

� Shortcuts to Objects Menu Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .446 

� Shortcuts for Query Menu Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .446 

� Shortcuts for Options Menu Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .446 

� Shortcuts for Map Menu Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .446 

� Shortcuts for Window Menu Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .447 

� Shortcuts by Keystroke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .447 

� Shortcuts for the Map or Layout Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .449 

A

Shortcuts for File Menu Items 

Chapter A: Directory of MapInfo Professional Shortcuts 

Shortcuts for File Menu Items 

Menu Item Keystrokes 

File > New Table Ctrl+N 

File > Open Ctrl+O 

File > Save Table Ctrl+S 

File > Save Workspace Ctrl+K 

File > Print Ctrl+P 

File > Exit Alt+F4 

Shortcuts for Edit Menu Items 


Edit > Undo Ctrl+Z 

Edit > Cut Ctrl+X 

Edit > Copy Ctrl+C 

Edit > Paste Ctrl+V 

Edit > Clear Del 

Edit > Reshape Ctrl+R 

Edit > New Row Ctrl+E 

Edit > Get Info F7 

Shortcut to Tools Menu Items 


Tools > Run MapBasic Prog Ctrl+U 


Shortcuts to Objects Menu Items 


Shortcuts to Objects Menu Items 


Objects > Set Target Ctrl+T 

Objects > Clear Target Ctrl+Delete 

Shortcuts for Query Menu Items 

Shortcuts for Options Menu Items 

Shortcuts for Map Menu Items 


Query > Unselect All Ctrl+W 

Query > Find Ctrl+F 

Query > Find Selection > In Current Map Window Ctrl+G 

Query > Find Selection > In All Windows Ctrl+A 


Options > Line Style Shift+F8 

Options > Region Style Ctrl+F8 

Options > Symbol Style Alt+F8 

Options > Text Style F8 


Map > Layer Control Ctrl+L 

Map > Create 3D Map F11 


Map > Create Prism Map F10 

Map > Create Thematic Map F9 

Map > Modify Thematic Map Alt+F9 

Map > Previous View Alt+Left Arrow 

Shortcuts for Window Menu Items 

Shortcuts by Keystroke 


Shortcuts for Window Menu Items 


Window > New Browser F2 

Window > New Mapper F3 

Window > New Grapher F4 

Window > New Layout F5 

Window > Redraw Window Ctrl+D 

Window > Tile Windows Shift+F4 

Window > Cascade Windows Shift+F5 

Map > Previous View and 

Layout > Previous View 


Menu Items Keystrokes 

File > Copy Ctrl+C 

Window > Redraw Window Ctrl+D 

File > New Row Ctrl+E 

Query > Find Ctrl+F 

Query > Find Selection Ctrl+G 

Alt+Left Arrow 



Shortcuts by Keystroke 


File > Save Workspace Ctrl+K 

Map > Layer Control Ctrl+L 

File > New Table Ctrl+N 

File > Open Ctrl+O 

File > Print Ctrl+P 

File > Reshape Ctrl+R 

File > Save Table Ctrl+S 

Objects > Set Target Ctrl+T 

Tools > Run MapBasic Program Ctrl+U 

File > Paste Ctrl+V 

Query > Unselect All Ctrl+W 

File > Cut Ctrl+X 

File > Undo Ctrl+Z 

Objects > Clear Target Ctrl+Delete 

Window > New Browser F2 

Window > New Mapper F3 

Window > New Grapher F4 

Window > New Layout F5 

File > Get Info F7 

Options > Text Style F8 

Map > Create Thematic Map F9 

Map > Create Prism Map F10 

Map > Create 3D Map F11 

File > Exit Alt+F4 

Options > Symbol Style Alt+F8 

Map > Modify Thematic Map Alt+F9 



Shortcuts for the Map or Layout Window 


Options > Region Style Ctrl+F8 

Window > Tile Windows Shift+F4 

Window > Cascade Windows Shift+F5 

Options > Line Style Shift+F8 

Edit > Delete Del 


When the Map or Layout is Active 

Action Keystroke 

Activate/Deactivate Snap s 

Activate/Reactive Auto Trace t 

Activate/Reactive Large Cursor c 

Pan Down down arrow 

Pan Left left arrow 

Pan Right right arrow 

Pan Up up arrow 

Switch Between Open Windows Ctrl + TAB 

Zoom In + 

Zoom Out – 


While Drawing a Polyline or Polygon 



Action Keystroke 

Delete previous node Backspace 

When Selecting One or More Objects from the Editable Layer or Layout 

Action Keystrokes 

Move object to the down, one screen pixel at a time Ctrl+Down arrow 

Move object to the down, ten screen pixel at a time Ctrl+Shift+Down arrow 

Move object to the left, one screen pixel at a time Ctrl+Left arrow 

Move object to the left, ten screen pixel at a time Ctrl+Shift+Left arrow 

Move object to the right, one screen pixel at a time Ctrl+Right arrow 

Move object to the right, ten screen pixel at a time Ctrl+Shift+Right arrow 

Move object to the up, one screen pixel at a time Ctrl+Up arrow 

Move object to the up, ten screen pixel at a time Ctrl+Shift+Up arrow 


Elements of a Coordinate 

System 


� Projections and Their Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .452 

� Projection Datums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .456 

� For More Information on Projections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .472 

B

Projections and Their Parameters 

Chapter B: Elements of a Coordinate System 


The next table indicates the parameters applicable to each projection, which are listed in the order 

they appear in the relevant coordinate system lines in the MAPINFOW.PRJ file. The projection type 

is the equation or equations used by a coordinate system. The following list names the projections 

MapInfo uses and gives the number used to identify the projection in the MAPINFOW.PRJ file: 



Datum 

Units 

Albers Equal-Area Conic 9 X X X X X X X X 


Azimuthal Equidistant 28 X X X X * X 

Azimuthal Equidistant 

(polar aspect only) 





Azimuth 

Scale Factor 

False Easting 


5 X X X X X 

Cassini-Soldner 30 X X X X X X 

Cylindrical Equal Area 2 X X X X 

Double Stereographic 31 X X X X X X X 

Eckert IV 14 X X X 

Eckert VI 15 X X X 

Equidistant Conic 6 X X X X X X X X 

Equidistant Cylindrical 33 X X X X X X 

Gall 17 X X X 

Hotine Oblique Mercator 7 X X X X X X X X 

Krovak Oblique Conformal 

Conic (JTSKc) 

32 X X X X X X X X 

Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area 29 X X X X † X 

Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area 

(polar aspect only) 

4 X X X X † X 

Lambert Conformal Conic 3 X X X X X X X X 

Range


Lambert Conformal Conic 

(Modified for Belgium 1972) 

Longitude-Latitude 1 X 



19 X X X X X X X X 

Mercator 10 X X X 

Miller 11 X X X 

Mollweide 13 X X X 

New Zealand Map Grid 18 X X X X X X 

Polyconic 27 X X X X X X 

Regional Mercator 26 X X X X 

Robinson 12 X X X 

Sinusoidal 16 X X X 

Stereographic 20 X X X X X X X 

Swiss Oblique Mercator 25 X X X X X X 

Transverse Mercator 8 X X X X X X X 

Tranverse Mercator, (Modified 

for Danish System 34 

Jylland-Fyn) 


for Danish System 34 Sjaelland) 


for Danish System 34 /45 

Bornholm) 

Tranverse Mercator, 

(Modified for Finnish KKJ) 


Datum 

Units 


21 X X X X X X X 








Azimuth 

Scale Factor 

False Easting 


Range



The Origin Latitude for the Azimuthal Equidistant projections must be either 90 or -90. An Oblique 

Azimuthal Equidistant projection supports all Origin Latitudes, including the poles. A Lambert 

Azimuthal Equal-Area projection has been added that also supports all Origin Latitudes, including 

the poles. 

Projection Types 

The projection type is the equation or equations used by a coordinate system. The following list 

names the projections MapInfo uses and gives the number used to identify the projection in the 

MAPINFOW.PRJ file: 

Number Projection Type 

9 Albers Equal-Area Conic 

28 Azimuthal Equidistant (all origin latitudes) 

5 Azimuthal Equidistant (polar aspect only) 

30 Cassini-Soldner 

2 Cylindrical Equal-Area 

31 Double Stereographic 

14 Eckert IV 

15 Eckert VI 

6 Equidistant Conic, also known as Simple Conic 

33 Equidistant Cylindrical 

17 Gall 

7 Hotine Oblique Mercator 

32 Krovak Oblique Conformal Conic (JTSKc) 

4 Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area (polar aspect only) 

29 Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area 

3 Lambert Conformal Conic 

19 Lambert Conformal Conic (modified for Belgium 1972) 

1 Longitude/Latitude 

10 Mercator 


Number Projection Type 

11 Miller Cylindrical 

13 Mollweide 

18 New Zealand Map Grid 

27 Polyconic 

26 Regional Mercator 

12 Robinson 

16 Sinusoidal 

20 Stereographic 

25 Swiss Oblique Mercator 

8 Transverse Mercator, (also known as Gauss-Kruger) 



21 Transverse Mercator, (modified for Danish System 34 Jylland-Fyn) 

22 Transverse Mercator, (modified for Danish System 34 Sjaelland) 

23 Transverse Mercator, (modified for Danish System 34/45 Bornholm) 

24 Transverse Mercator, (modified for Finnish KKJ) 

Projection numbers in the MAPINFOW.PRJ may be modified by the addition of a constant value to 

the base number listed in the Projection table, above. Valid values and their meanings are in the 

next table: 

Constant Meaning Parameters 

1000 System has affine transformations Affine units specifier and coefficients appear 

after the regular parameters for the system. 

2000 System has explicit bounds Bounds appear after the regular parameters 

for the system. 

3000 System with both affine and bounds Affine parameters follow system’s 

parameters; bounds follow affine parameters. 

Example: 




Assume you want to work with a simple system based on the Transverse Mercator projection and 

using the NAD 1983 datum. You might have a line such as the following in your MAPINFOW.PRJ 

file: 

"UTM Zone 1 (NAD 83)", 8, 74, 7, -177, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0 

Now let’s say that you want a system based on this, but with an affine transformation specified by 

the following parameters (see Affine Transformations in the Help System: Units=meters; A=0.5; B=- 

0.866; C=0; D=0.866; E=0.5; and F=0. The required line in the MAPINFOW.PRJ file is: 

"UTM Zone 1 (NAD 83) - rotated 60 degrees", 1008, 74, 7, -177, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0, 7, 0.5, - 

0.866, 0, 0.866, 0.5, 0 

Alternatively, if you want to bound the system to (x1, y1, x2, y2)=(-500000, 0, 500000, 1000000), the 

required line is: 

"UTM Zone 1 (NAD 83) - bounded", 2008, 74, 7, -177, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0, -500000, 0, 500000, 

1000000 

To customize the system using both of these modifications, the line is: 

"UTM Zone 1 (NAD 83) - rotated and bounded", 3008, 74, 7, -177, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0, 7, 0.5, - 

0.866, 0, 0.866, 0.5, 0, -500000, 0, 500000, 1000000 

Projection Datums 

The datum is established by tying a reference ellipsoid to a particular point on the earth. The 

following table lists these details for each datum. More specific datum information is available in 

Basic and Custom Datums in the Help System. 

• The number used to identify the datum in the MAPINFOW.PRJ file. 

• The datum’s name 

• The maps for which the datum is typically used 

• The datum’s reference ellipsoid 

Number Datum Name Area of Coverage Ellipsoid 

1 Adindan Ethiopia, Mali, Senegal, Sudan Clarke 1880 

2 Afgooye Somalia Krassovsky 

1007 AGD 66, 7 parameter Australia, A.C.T. Australian National 

1008 AGD 66, 7 parameter Australia, Tasmania Australian National 

1009 AGD 66, 7 parameter Australia, Victoria/NSW Australian National 

1006 AGD 84, 7 parameter Australia Australian National 

3 Ain el Abd 1970 Bahrain Island International 

118 American Samoa American Samoa Islands Clarke 1866 





4 Anna 1 Astro 1965 Cocos Islands Australian National 

119 Antigua Island Astro 1943 Antigua, Leeward Islands Clarke 1880 

5 Arc 1950 Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, 

Swaziland, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe 

Clarke 1880 

6 Arc 1960 Kenya, Tanzania Clarke 1880 

7 Ascension Island 1958 Ascension Island International 

9 Astro B4 Sorol Atoll Tern Island International 

8 Astro Beacon “E” Iwo Jima Island International 

10 Astro DOS 71/4 St. Helena Island International 

11 Astronomic Station 1952 Marcus Island International 

12 Australian Geodetic 1966 (AGD 

66) 

13 Australian Geodetic 1984 (AGD 

84) 

Australia and Tasmania Island Australian National 

Australia and Tasmania Island Australian National 

120 Ayabelle Lighthouse Djibouti Clarke 1880 

154 Beijing 1954 China Krassovsky (#3) 

1019 Belgian 1972 (7 parameters) Belgium International 1924 

110 Belgium Belgium International 

14 Bellevue (IGN) Efate and Erromango Islands International 

15 Bermuda 1957 Bermuda Islands Clarke 1866 

16 Bogota Observatory Colombia International 

121 Bukit Rimpah Bangka and Belitung Islands 

(Indonesia) 

Bessel 1841 

17 Campo Inchauspe Argentina International 

18 Canton Astro 1966 Phoenix Islands International 

19 Cape South Africa Clarke 1880 

20 Cape Canaveral Florida and Bahama Islands Clarke 1866 

1005 Cape, 7 parameter South Africa WGS 84 





21 Carthage Tunisia Clarke 1880 

22 Chatham 1971 Chatham Island (New Zealand) International 

23 Chua Astro Paraguay International 

122 Coordinate System 1937 of 

Estonia 

Estonia Bessel 1841 

24 Corrego Alegre Brazil International 

123 Dabola Guinea Clarke 1880 

156 Dealul Piscului 1970 Romania Krassovsky 

124 Deception Island Deception Island, Antarctica Clarke 1880 

1000 Deutsches Hauptdreicksnetz 

(DHDN) Potsdam/Rauenberg 

Germany Bessel 

25 Djakarta (Batavia) Sumatra Island (Indonesia) Bessel 1841 

26 DOS 1968 Gizo Island (New Georgia Islands) International 

27 Easter Island 1967 Easter Island International 

115 EUREF 89 Europe GRS 80 

28 European 1950 (ED 50) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, 

France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, 

Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, 

Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, 

Switzerland 

29 European 1979 (ED 79) Austria, Finland, Netherlands, 

Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland 

International 

International 

108 European 1987 (ED 87) Europe International 

125 Fort Thomas 1955 Nevis, St. Kitts, Leeward Islands Clarke 1880 

30 Gandajika Base Republic of Maldives International 

116 GDA 94 Australia GRS 80 

32 Geodetic Reference System 

1967 (GRS 67) 

33 Geodetic Reference System 

1980 (GRS 80) 

Worldwide GRS 67 

Worldwide GRS 80 





126 Graciosa Base SW 1948 Faial, Graciosa, Pico, Sao Jorge, and 

Terceira Islands (Azores) 

International 1924 

34 Guam 1963 Guam Island Clarke 1866 

35 GUX 1 Astro Guadalcanal Island International 

150 Hartbeesthoek 94 South Africa WGS 84 

127 Herat North Afghanistan International 1924 

128 Hermannskogel Yugoslavia (Prior to 1990), Slovenia, 

Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 

Serbia 

Bessel 1841 

153 HGRS87 GRS80 (#0) 

36 Hito XVIII 1963 South Chile (near 53°S) International 

37 Hjorsey 1955 Iceland International 

38 Hong Kong 1963 Hong Kong International 

1004 Hungarian Datum of 1972 (HD 

72) 

Hungary GRS 80 

39 Hu-Tzu-Shan Taiwan International 

40 Indian Thailand and Vietnam Everest (India 1830) 

41 Indian Bangladesh, India, Nepal Everest (India 1830) 

129 Indian Pakistan Everest (Pakistan) 

130 Indian 1954 Thailand Everest (India 1830) 

131 Indian 1960 Vietnam Everest (India 1830) 

132 Indian 1975 Thailand Everest (India 1830) 

133 Indonesian 1974 Indonesia Indonesian 1974 

42 Ireland 1965 Ireland Modified Airy 

134 ISTS 061 Astro 1968 South Georgia Island International 1924 

43 ISTS 073 Astro 1969 Diego Garcia International 

152 JGD2000 Japan Bessel 1841 

44 Johnston Island 1961 Johnston Island International 





45 Kandawala Sri Lanka Everest (India 1830) 

46 Kerguelen Island Kerguelen Island International 

47 Kertau 1948 West Malaysia and Singapore Everest (W. 

Malaysia and 

Singapore 1948) 

1016 KKJ Finland International 

135 Kusaie Astro 1951 Caroline Islands, Federated States of 

Micronesia 

International 1924 

48 L.C. 5 Astro Cayman Brac Island Clarke 1866 

136 Leigon Ghana Clarke 1880 

49 Liberia 1964 Liberia Clarke 1880 

155 Libya (LGD 2006) Libya International 

113 Lisboa (DLx) Portugal International 

1018 Lithuanian Pulkovo 1942 Latvia, Lithuania Krassovsky (#3) 

50 Luzon Philippines (excluding Mindanao 

Island) 

Clarke 1866 

51 Luzon Mindanao Island Clarke 1866 

138 M’Poraloko Gabon Clarke 1880 

52 Mahe 1971 Mahe Island Clarke 1880 

53 Marco Astro Salvage Islands International 

54 Massawa Eritrea (Ethiopia) Bessel 1841 

114 Melrica 1973 (D73) Portugal International 

55 Merchich Morocco Clarke 1880 

56 Midway Astro 1961 Midway Island International 

57 Minna Nigeria Clarke 1880 

137 Montserrat Island Astro 1958 Montserrat, Leeward Islands Clarke 1880 

58 Nahrwan Masirah Island (Oman) Clarke 1880 

59 Nahrwan United Arab Emirates Clarke 1880 





60 Nahrwan Saudi Arabia Clarke 1880 

61 Naparima, BWI Trinidad and Tobago International 

109 Netherlands Netherlands Bessel 

1010 New Zealand Geodetic Datum 

194, 7 parameter 

31 New Zealand Geodetic Datum 

1949 (NZGD 49) 

New Zealand International 

New Zealand International 

62 North American 1927 (NAD 27) Continental U.S. Clarke 1866 

63 North American 1927 (NAD 27) Alaska Clarke 1866 

64 North American 1927 (NAD 27) Bahamas (excluding San Salvador 

Island) 

Clarke 1866 

65 North American 1927 (NAD 27) San Salvador Island Clarke 1866 

66 North American 1927 (NAD 27) Canada (including Newfoundland 

Island) 

Clarke 1866 

67 North American 1927 (NAD 27) Canal Zone Clarke 1866 

68 North American 1927 (NAD 27) Caribbean (Turks and Caicos 

Islands) 

69 North American 1927 (NAD 27) Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, 

El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, 

Nicaragua) 

Clarke 1866 

Clarke 1866 

70 North American 1927 (NAD 27) Cuba Clarke 1866 

71 North American 1927 (NAD 27) Greenland (Hayes Peninsula) Clarke 1866 

72 North American 1927 (NAD 27) Mexico Clarke 1866 

73 North American 1927 (NAD 27) Michigan (used only for State Plane 

Coordinate System 1927) 

74 North American 1983 (NAD 83) Alaska, Canada, Central America, 

Continental U.S., Mexico 

Modified Clarke 

1866 

GRS 80 

139 North Sahara 1959 Algeria Clarke 1880 

107 Nouvelle Triangulation Francaise 

(NTF) Greenwich Prime Meridian 

France Modified Clarke 

1880 





1002 Nouvelle Triangulation Francaise 

(NTF) Paris Prime Meridian 

France Modified Clarke 

1880 

111 NWGL 10 Worldwide WGS 72 

117 NZGD 2000 New Zealand GRS 80 

140 Observatorio Meteorologico 

1939 

Corvo and Flores Islands (Azores) International 1924 

75 Observatorio 1966 Corvo and Flores Islands (Azores) International 

76 Old Egyptian Egypt Helmert 1906 

77 Old Hawaiian Hawaii Clarke 1866 

78 Oman Oman Clarke 1880 

79 Ordnance Survey of Great 

Britain 1936 

England, Isle of Man, Scotland, 

Shetland Islands, Wales 

80 Pico de las Nieves Canary Islands International 

81 Pitcairn Astro 1967 Pitcairn Island International 

141 Point 58 Burkina Faso and Niger Clarke 1880 

142 Pointe Noire 1948 Congo Clarke 1880 

157 Popular Visualization CRS / 

Mercator 


Airy 

Worldwide WGS 84 Sphere 

143 Porto Santo 1936 Porto Santo and Madeiras Islands International 1924 

1000 Potsdam Germany Bessel 

82 Provisional South American 

1956 

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, 

Guyana, Peru, Venezuela 

International 

Provisional South Chilean 1963 South Chile (near 53°S) International 

83 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Clarke 1866 

1001 Pulkovo 1942 Germany Krassovsky 

84 Qatar National Qatar International 

85 Qornoq South Greenland International 

1000 Rauenberg Germany Bessel




86 Reunion Mascarene Island International 

112 Rikets Triangulering 1990 (RT 

90) 

1011 Rikets Triangulering 1990 (RT 

90), 7 parameter 

Sweden Bessel 

Sweden Bessel 

87 Rome 1940 Sardinia Island International 

1012 Russia PZ90 Russia PZ90 

1012 Russia PZ90 Russia PZ90 

1013 Russia SK42 Russia SK95 

1014 Russia SK95 Russia PZ90 

88 Santo (DOS) Espirito Santo Island International 

89 São Braz São Miguel, Santa Maria Islands 

(Azores) 

International 

90 Sapper Hill 1943 East Falkland Island International 

91 Schwarzeck Namibia Modified Bessel 

1841 

144 Selvagem Grande 1938 Salvage Islands International 1924 

145 Sierra Leone 1960 Sierra Leone Clarke 1880 

146 S-JTSK Czech Republic Bessel 1841 

1020 S-JTSK (Ferro prime meridian) Czech Republic Bessel #11 

92 South American 1969 Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, 

Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, 

Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela, Trinidad 

and Tobago 

South American 

1969 

93 South Asia Singapore Modified Fischer 

1960 

94 Southeast Base Porto Santo and Madeira Islands International 

95 Southwest Base Faial, Graciosa, Pico, Sao Jorge, 

Terceira Islands (Azores) 

International 

1003 Switzerland (CH 1903) Switzerland Bessel 





147 Tananarive Observatory 1925 Madagascar International 1924 

96 Timbalai 1948 Brunei and East Malaysia (Sarawak 

and Sabah) 

Units 

Everest (India 1830) 

97 Tokyo Japan, Korea, Okinawa Bessel 1841 

1015 Tokyo97 Japan Bessel 1841 

98 Tristan Astro 1968 Tristan da Cunha International 

99 Viti Levu 1916 Viti Levu Island (Fiji Islands) Clarke 1880 

148 Voirol 1874 Tunisia/Algeria Clarke 1880 

149 Voirol 1960 Algeria Clarke 1880 

100 Wake-Eniwetok 1960 Marshall Islands Hough 

101 World Geodetic System 1960 

(WGS 60) 


(WGS 66) 


(WGS 72) 


(WGS 84) 

Worldwide WGS 60 




1017 Xian China 1980 

105 Yacare Uruguay International 

106 Zanderij Surinam International 

The following table lists the available coordinate units and the number used to identify the unit in the 

MAPINFOW.PRJ file: 

Number Units 

6 Centimeters 

31 Chains 


Number Units 

3 Feet (also called International Feet) * 

2 Inches 

1 Kilometers 

30 Links 

7 Meters 

0 Miles 

5 Millimeters 

9 Nautical Miles † 

32 Rods 

8 US Survey Feet (used for 1927 State Plane) ‡ 

4 Yards 

* One International Foot equals exactly 30.48 cm. 

† One Nautical Mile equals exactly 1852 meters. 

‡ One US Survey Foot equals exactly 12/39.37 meters, or approximately 

30.48006 cm. 

Coordinate System Origin 



The origin is the point specified in longitude and latitude from which all coordinates are referenced. It 

is chosen to optimize the accuracy of a particular coordinate system. As we move north from the 

origin, Y increases. X increases as we move east. These coordinate values are generally called 

northings and eastings. 

For the Transverse Mercator projection the origin’s longitude defines the central meridian. In 

constructing the Transverse Mercator projection a cylinder is positioned tangent to the earth. The 

central meridian is the line of tangency. The scale of the projected map is true along the central 

meridian. 

In creating a Hotine Oblique Mercator projection it is necessary to specify a great circle that is not 

the equator nor a meridian. MapInfo Professional does this by specifying one point on the ellipsoid 

and an azimuth from that point. That point is the origin of the coordinate system. 


Standard Parallels (Conic Projections) 



In conic projections a cone is passed through the earth intersecting it along two parallels of latitude. 

These are the standard parallels. One is to the north and one is to the south of the projection zone. 

To use a single standard parallel specify that latitude twice. Both are expressed in degrees of 

latitude. 

Oblique Azimuth (Hotine Oblique Mercator) 

When specifying a great circle (Hotine Oblique Mercator) using a point and an azimuth (arc), the 

azimuth is called the Oblique Azimuth and is expressed in degrees. 

Scale Factor (Transverse Mercator) 

A scale factor is applied to cylindrical coordinates to average scale error over the central area of the 

map while reducing the error along the east and west boundaries. The scale factor has the effect of 

recessing the cylinder into the earth so that it has two lines of intersection. Scale is true along these 

lines of intersection. 

You may see the scale factor expressed as a ratio, such as 1:25000. In this case it is generally 

called the scale reduction. The relationship between scale factor and scale reduction is: 

scale factor = 1-scale reduction 

In this case the scale factor would be 1-(1/25000) or 0.99996. 

False Northings and False Eastings 

Calculating coordinates is easier if negative numbers aren’t involved. To eliminate this problem in 

calculating State Plane and Universal Transverse Mercator coordinates, it is common to add 

measurement offsets to the northings and eastings. These offsets are called False Northings and 

False Eastings. They are expressed in coordinate units, not degrees. (The coordinate units are 

specified by the Units parameter.) 

Range (Azimuthal Projections) 

The range specifies, in degrees, how much of the earth you are seeing. The range can be between 

1 and 180. When you specify 90, you see a hemisphere. When you specify 180 you see the whole 

earth, though much of it is very distorted. 


Polyconic Projection 


Coordinate System Enhancements by Version 

The following description is copied from “Map Projections – A Working Manual”, USGS Professional 

Paper 1395, by John P. Snyder. 

The Polyconic projection, usually called the American Polyconic in Europe, achieved its name 

because the curvature of the circular arc for each parallel on the map is the same as it would be 

following the unrolling of a cone which had been wrapped around the globe tangent to the particular 

parallel of latitude, with the parallel traced onto the cone. Thus, there are many (”poly-”) cones 

involved, rather than the single cone of each regular conic projection. 

The Polyconic projection is neither equal-area nor conformal. Along the central meridian, however, it 

is both distortion free and true to scale. Each parallel is true to scale, but the meridians are 

lengthened by various amounts to cross each parallel at the correct position along the parallel, so 

that no parallel is standard in the sense of having conformality (or correct angles), except at the 

central meridian. Near the central meridian, distortion is extremely small. 

This projection is not intended for mapping large areas. The conversion algorithms used break down 

when mapping wide longitude ranges. For example, WORLD.TAB, from the sample data shipped 

with MapInfo Professional, may exhibit anomalies if reprojected using Polyconic. 

Equidistant Cylindrical Projection 

The Equidistant Cylindrical projection (also called the Equirectangular projection, geographic 

projection, Plate Carrée, or Carte Parallelogrammatique projection or CPP), is a very simple map 

projection attributed to Marinus of Tyre, who Ptolemy claims invented the projection about 100 AD. 

The projection maps meridians to equally spaced vertical straight lines, and circles of latitude to 

evenly spread horizontal straight lines. The projection is neither equal area nor conformal. Because 

of the distortions introduced by this projection, it has little use in navigation or cadastral mapping, 

and finds its main use in thematic mapping. In particular, the Plate Carrée is used often in computer 

applications that process global maps, because of the particularly simple relationship between the 

position of an image pixel on the map and its corresponding geographic location on Earth. The Plate 

Carrée (French, for "flat square"), is the special case where standard parallel is zero. 

The following examples are of PRJ entries for Plate Carrée and Equidistant Cylindrical projection 

centered at 46.5 degree Standard Parallel (used in France): 

"Plate Carree WGS84", 33, 104, 7, 0, 0, 0, 0 

"Equidistant Cylindrical 46.5 Degree WGS84", 33, 104, 7, 0, 46.5, 0, 0 


This section describes the coordinate system enhancements by product version. The 

MAPINFOW.PRJ file has been updated to support these changes. The datum details of these 

systems have been added to the Basic Datums in the Help System. 




Coordinate System and Datum Additions for MapInfo Professional 10.5 

Australian Coordinate Systems 

We have added new Australian coordinate systems: 

• "Longitude / Latitude (Victoria GDA94)", 2001, 116, 132, -26.8, 154, -43.8 

• "SA - Lambert Conformal Conic (GDA94)", 3, 116, 7, 135, -32, -28, -36, 1000000, 2000000 

Danish Coordinate Systems 

We have updated and added Danish coordinate systems: 

• "UTM Zone 32 Euref89\p25832", 8, 115, 7, 9.0, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0 

• "UTM Zone 33 Euref89\p25833", 8, 115, 7, 15.0, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0 

• "DKTM1 - Western Jylland\p4093", 8, 115, 7, 9, 0, 0.99998, 200000, 5000000 

• "DKTM2 - Eastern Jylland and Fyn\p4094", 8, 115, 7, 10, 0, 0.99998, 400000, 5000000 

• "DKTM3 - Sjaelland\p4095", 8, 115, 7, 11.75, 0, 0.99998, 600000, 5000000 

• "DKTM4 - Bornholm\p4096", 8, 115, 7, 15, 0, 1.00000, 800000, 5000000 

• "KP2000 Jylland-Fyn\p18401", 8, 115, 7, 9.5, 0, 0.99995, 200000, 0 

• "KP2000 Sjaelland\p18402", 8, 115, 7, 12.0, 0, 0.99995, 500000, 0 

• "KP2000 Bornholm\p18403", 8, 115, 7, 15.0, 0, 1.00000, 900000, 0 

• "UTM Zone 32 (ED 50)\p23032", 8, 28, 7, 9, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0 

• "UTM Zone 33 (ED 50)\p23033", 8, 28, 7, 15, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0 

• "System 34 Jylland-Fyn\p34003", 21, 28, 7, 9, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0 

• "System 34 Sjaelland\p34005", 22, 28, 7, 9, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0 

• "System 45 Bornholm\p45001", 23, 28, 7, 15, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0 

Danish Bounded Coordinate Systems 

• "Bounded UTM Zone 32 ETRS89\p25832", 2008, 115, 7, 9.0, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0, 50000.0, 

5750000.0, 1050000.0, 6750000.0 

• "Bounded UTM Zone 33 ETRS89\p25833", 2008, 115, 7, 15.0, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0, -200000.0, 

5750000.0, 800000.0, 6750000.0 

• "Bounded DKTM1 - Western Jylland\p4093", 2008, 115, 7, 9, 0, 0.99998, 200000, 5000000, 0, 

750000, 1000000, 1750000 

• "Bounded DKTM2 - Eastern Jylland and Fyn\p4094", 2008, 115, 7, 10, 0, 0.99998, 400000, 

5000000, 0, 750000, 1000000, 1750000 

• "Bounded DKTM3 - Sjaelland\p4095", 2008, 115, 7, 11.75, 0, 0.99998, 600000, 5000000, 0, 

750000, 1000000, 1750000 

• "Bounded DKTM4 - Bornholm\p4096", 2008, 115, 7, 15, 0, 1.00000, 800000, 5000000, 0, 

750000, 1000000, 1750000 

• "Bounded KP2000 Jylland-Fyn\p18401", 2008, 115, 7, 9.5, 0, 0.99995, 200000, 0, -200000.0, 

5750000.0, 800000.0, 6750000.0 

• "Bounded KP2000 Sjaelland\p18402", 2008, 115, 7, 12.0, 0, 0.99995, 500000, 0, -200000.0, 

5750000.0, 800000.0, 6750000.0 

• "Bounded KP2000 Bornholm\p18403", 2008, 115, 7, 15.0, 0, 1.00000, 900000, 0, -200000.0, 

5750000.0, 800000.0, 6750000.0 




• "Bounded UTM Zone 32 (ED 50)\p23032", 2008, 28, 7, 9, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0, 50000.0, 

5750000.0, 1050000.0, 6750000.0, 

• "Bounded UTM Zone 33 (ED 50)\p23033", 2008, 28, 7, 15, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0, -200000.0, 

5750000.0, 800000.0, 6750000.0 

• "Bounded System 34 Jylland-Fyn\p34003", 2021, 28, 7, 9, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0, -700000.0, - 

300000, 300000, 700000 

• "Bounded System 34 Sjaelland\p34005", 2022, 28, 7, 9, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0, -700000.0, - 

300000, 300000, 700000 

• "Bounded System 45 Bornholm\p45001", 2023, 28, 7, 15, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0, -700000.0, - 

300000, 300000, 700000 

European Projection 

We have added a new European projection system: 

• "Longitude / Latitude (EUREF89)\p4258",1, 115 

French Coordinate System 

We have added a new French coordinate system: 

• "Longitude / Latitude (RGF93)\p4171", 1, 33 

Finnish Coordinate Systems 

We have added new Finnish coordinate systems: 

• "Finnish KKJ Zone 0\p3386", 2024, 1016, 7, 18, 0, 1, 500000, 0, 0, 6000000, 1500000, 8000000 

• "Finnish KKJ Zone 5\p3387", 2024, 1016, 7, 33, 0, 1, 5500000, 0, 4000000, 6000000, 6000000, 

8000000 

ETRS-GK(ETRS89) 

• "ETRS-GK19FIN (ETRS89)\p3126", 2008, 115, 7, 19, 0, 1, 19500000, 0, 19200000, 6500000, 

19800000, 8000000 


20800000, 8000000 


21800000, 8000000 


22800000, 8000000 


23800000, 8000000 


24800000, 8000000 


25800000, 8000000 


26800000, 8000000 


27800000, 8000000 





28800000, 8000000 


29800000, 8000000 


30800000, 8000000 


31800000, 8000000 

Gauss-Kruger 

• "ETRS-GK19FIN", 2024, 115, 7, 19, 0, 1.0, 19500000, 0, 19000000, 6000000, 19999999, 

8000000 

• "ETRS-GK20FIN", 2024, 115, 7, 20, 0, 1.0, 20500000, 0, 20000000, 6000000, 20999999, 

8000000 

• "ETRS-GK21FIN", 2024, 115, 7, 21, 0, 1.0, 21500000, 0, 21000000, 6000000, 21999999, 

8000000 

• "ETRS-GK22FIN", 2024, 115, 7, 22, 0, 1.0, 22500000, 0, 22000000, 6000000, 22999999, 

8000000 

• "ETRS-GK23FIN", 2024, 115, 7, 23, 0, 1.0, 23500000, 0, 23000000, 6000000, 23999999, 

8000000 

• "ETRS-GK24FIN", 2024, 115, 7, 24, 0, 1.0, 24500000, 0, 24000000, 6000000, 24999999, 

8000000 

• "ETRS-GK25FIN", 2024, 115, 7, 25, 0, 1.0, 25500000, 0, 25000000, 6000000, 25999999, 

8000000 

• "ETRS-GK26FIN", 2024, 115, 7, 26, 0, 1.0, 26500000, 0, 26000000, 6000000, 26999999, 

8000000 

• "ETRS-GK27FIN", 2024, 115, 7, 27, 0, 1.0, 27500000, 0, 27000000, 6000000, 27999999, 

8000000 

• "ETRS-GK28FIN", 2024, 115, 7, 28, 0, 1.0, 28500000, 0, 28000000, 6000000, 28999999, 

8000000 

• "ETRS-GK29FIN", 2024, 115, 7, 29, 0, 1.0, 29500000, 0, 29000000, 6000000, 29999999, 

8000000 

• "ETRS-GK30FIN", 2024, 115, 7, 30, 0, 1.0, 30500000, 0, 30000000, 6000000, 30999999, 

8000000 

• "ETRS-GK31FIN", 2024, 115, 7, 31, 0, 1.0, 31500000, 0, 31000000, 6000000, 31999999, 

8000000 

UTM 

• "ETRS-TM34", 2024, 115, 7, 21, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0, 0, 0, 1500000, 8000000 

• "ETRS-TM35", 2024, 115, 7, 27, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0, 0, 0, 1500000, 8000000 

• "ETRS-TM36", 2024, 115, 7, 33, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0, 0, 0, 1500000, 8000000 

• "ETRS-TM35FIN", 8, 115, 7, 27, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0 

• "ETRS-TM35FIN (central meridian 8500 km)", 8, 115, 7, 27, 0, 0.9996, 8500000, 0 

• "ETRS-TM35FIN\p3067", 2008, 115, 7, 27, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0 , -100000, 6000000, 1000000, 

8000000 


Morocco Coordinate Systems 

New coordinate systems for Morocco: 



Lambert Maroc (Merchich) 

• "Zone I (Nord Maroc)\p26191", 3, 55, 7, -5.4, 33.3, 31.72786641202, 34.8717272112, 500000, 

300000 

• "Zone II (Agadir)\p26192", 3, 55, 7, -5.4, 29.7, 28.1063294800, 31.2932791054, 500000, 

300000 

• "Zone III (La'youn)\p26194", 3, 55, 7, -5.4, 26.1, 24.5075340813, 27.6921073632, 1200000, 

400000 

• "Zone IV (Ad-Dakhla)\p26195", 3, 55, 7, -5.4, 22.5, 20.9075742561, 24.0921050540, 1500000, 

400000 

Slovenian Projections 

We have added new Slovenian projections: 

• "Slovenia (D-48 Slovenia) 3-parameters", 8, 999, 10, 668, -205, 472, 7, 15, 0, 0.9999, 500000, - 

5000000 

• "Slovenia (D-48 Slovenia) 7-parameters", 8, 9999, 10, 438.7669, 126.6093, 457.938, -4.323931, 

-4.1076, 12.245081, -16.5199, 0, 7, 15, 0, 0.9999, 500000, -5000000 

Swiss Coordinate Systems 

We have updated coordinate systems: 

• "Liechtenstein National System", 25, 1003, 7, 7.4395833333, 46.9524055555, 0, 0 

• "Swiss National System", 25, 1003, 7, 7.4395833333, 46.9524055555, 600000, 200000 

• "CH1903.LV03\p21781", 25, 999, 10, 674.374, 15.156, 405.346, 7, 7.43958333333333, 

46.9524055555556, 600000, 200000 

• "CH1903.LV03C\p21782", 25, 999, 10, 674.374, 15.156, 405.346, 7, 7.43958333333333, 

46.9524055555556, 0, 0 

• "CH1903plus.LV95\p2056", 25, 999, 10, 674.374, 15.156, 405.346, 7, 7.43958333333333, 

46.9524055555556, 2600000, 1200000 

United States of America (USA) Coordinate Systems 

We have added new USA coordinate systems: 

• "California Teale Albers NAD27", 9, 62, 7, -120, 0, 34, 40.5, 0, -4000000 

• "California Teale Albers NAD83", 9, 74, 7, -120, 0, 34, 40.5, 0, -4000000 

Zambia Projections 

We have added new Zambian projections: 

Gauss-Kruger Arc1950 

• "Gauss-Kruger LO 24 Arc1950", 8, 5, 7, 24, 0, 1, 0, 0 









For More Information on Projections 

Gauss-Kruger Arc1950 (**Affine Transformation, False Coords) 

• "Gauss-Kruger LO 24 Arc1950", 8, 1005, 7, 24, 0.9996, 1, 500000, 10000000 







Gauss-Kruger Arc1950 (No Affine Transformation, False Coords) 

• "Gauss-Kruger LO 24 Arc1950", 8, 5, 7, 24, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 10000000 








The first three publications listed are relatively short pamphlets. The last two are substantial books. 

We’ve also given addresses and phone numbers for the American Congress of Surveying and 

Mapping (the pamphlets) and the U.S. Geological Survey (the books). 

American Cartographic Association. Choosing a World Map—Attributes, Distortions, Classes, 

Aspects. Falls Church, VA: American Congress on Surveying and Mapping. Special Publication No. 

2. 1988. 

American Cartographic Association. Matching the Map Projection the Need. Falls Church, VA: 

American Congress on Surveying and Mapping. Special Publication No. 3. 1991. 

American Cartographic Association. Which Map is Best? Projections for World Maps. Falls Church, 

VA: American Congress on Surveying and Mapping. Special Publication No. 1. 1986. 

John P. Snyder. Map Projections—A Working Manual. Washington: U.S. Geological Survey 

Professional Paper 1395. 1987 

John P. Snyder and Philip M. Voxland. An Album of Map Projections. Washington: U.S. Geological 

Survey Professional Paper 1453. 1989. 


Contact Information 



The Department of Geography at the University of Colorado at Boulder has made available "The 

Geographer's Craft" project, a website devoted to explanations of map projections, geodetic datums, 

and coordinate systems. It is particularly valuable because many of the explanations were presented 

using MapInfo Professional. 

The materials may be used for study, research, and education. If you link to or cite the materials 

below, please credit the author: Peter H. Dana, The Geographer's Craft Project, Department of 

Geography, The University of Colorado at Boulder. 

For geodetic datum information and explanations, go to: 

http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/datum/datum.html 

For information on coordinate systems and associated topics, go to: 

http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/coordsys/coordsys.html 

For information on map projections, go to: 

http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/mapproj/mapproj.html 


Manually Creating a 

MapInfo_MapCatalog 

These instructions are for manually creating a MapInfo Map Catalog and 

making a remote table mappable, two procedures that are necessary for 

geocoding remote tables. This information is designed for users who do not 

have access to MapInfo Professional. 

MapInfo Professional users would create a MapInfo Map Catalog automatically. 

• Creating a MapInfo_MapCatalog Automatically 

• Making a Remote Table Mappable 

You or your database administrator must create one MapInfo Map Catalog for 

each database you wish to access in MapInfo Professional. 

C

To create a MAPINFO_MAPCATALOG manually: 

Chapter C: Manually Creating a MapInfo_MapCatalog 

1. If the RDBMS requires owners and users, then create the user MAPINFO with the PASSWORD 

MAPINFO in the specific database where the mappable tables are located. 

2. Create the table MAPINFO_MAPCATALOG in the database. 

The Create Table statement must be equivalent to the following SQL Create Table statement: 

Create Table MAPINFO_MAPCATALOG( 

SPATIALTYPE 

TABLENAME 

OWNERNAME 

SPATIALCOLUMN 

DB_X_LL 

DB_Y_LL 

DB_X_UR 

DB_Y_UR 

VIEW_X_LL 

VIEW_Y_LL 

VIEW_X_UR 

VIEW_Y_UR 

COORDINATESYSTEM 

SYMBOL 

XCOLUMNNAME 

YCOLUMNNAME 

RENDITIONTYPE 

RENDITIONCOLUMN 

RENDITIONTABLE 

NUMBER_ROWS 

) 

Float, 

Char(32), 

Char(32), 

Char(32), 

Float, 

Float, 

Float, 

Float, 

Float, 

Float, 

Float, 

Float, 

Char(254), 

Char(254), 

Char(32), 

Char(32), 

Integer, 

VarChar(32), 

VarChar(32), 

Integer 

It is important that the structure of the table is exactly like this statement. The only substitution 

that can be made is for databases that support varchar or text data types; these data types can 

be substituted for the Char data type. 

3. Create a unique index on the TABLENAME and the OWNERNAME, so only one table for each 

owner can be made mappable. 

4. Grant Select privileges to all users on the MAPINFO_MAPCATALOG. This allows users to make 

tables mappable. The Update, Insert, and Delete privileges must be granted at the discretion of 

the database administrator. 


Spatial Index Types 

This table lists the supported Spatial Index types. 

Manually Making a Remote Table Mappable 


Spatial Index Type Type Number 

MapInfo MICODE schema (any database) 1 

XY schema (any database) 4 

Oracle Spatial Geometry 13 

SpatialWare for SQL Server 14 

Oracle Spatial Annotation Text 16 

SQL Server Spatial (for geometry) 17 

SQL Server Spatial (for geography) 18 

PostGIS for PostgreSQL 19 

SQL Server Spatial with M and Z values (for geometry) 20 

SQL Server Spatial with M and Z values (for geography) 21 

For each spatial table in the remote database that you want to access in MapInfo Professional, you 

must add a row to the MAPINFO_MAPCATALOG table. This is carried out in MapInfo Professional 

when you select Table > Maintenance > Make ODBC Table Mappable. 

If you do not use MapInfo Professional to manage the Map Catalog, you must manually add rows to 

the MAPINFO_MAPCATALOG table for each spatial table in the database that you want to 

geocode. Each entry must contain the following information about the table. 

Column Name Values to Assign Example 

SPATIALTYPE 4.0 for X,Y spatial index tables 

(Support for additional spatial servers is under 

development) 

TABLENAME Name of the table. Drainage 

OWNERNAME Owner name. Georgetown 

SPATIALCOLUMN Name of the column, if any containing spatial 

features. The name is: 

• NO_COLUMN (for mappable tables 

using X,Y) 


4.0 

NO_COLUMN



DB_X_LL X coordinate of the lower left corner of the 

layer’s bounding rectangle, in units indicated 

by the COORDINATESYSTEM as defined by 



-360 

DB_Y_LL Lower left bounding Y value. -90 

DB_X_UR Upper right bounding X value. 360 

DB_Y_UR Upper right bounding Y value. 90 

VIEW_X_LL X coordinate of the lower left corner of the 

view’s bounding rectangle, in units indicated 

by the COORDINATESYSTEM as defined by 


-360 

VIEW_Y_LL Lower left bounding Y value. -90 

VIEW_X_UR Upper right bounding X value. 360 

VIEW_Y_UR Upper right bounding Y value. 90 

COORDINATESYSTEM A string representing a MapInfo-supported 

coordinate system that specifies a map 

projection, coordinate units, etc. Values are 

one of: 

• Earth Projection 1,0 (for 

NAD27) 

• Earth Projection 1,62 (for 

NAD27) 

• Earth Projection 1,33 (for NAD 83) 

or 

• Earth Projection 1,74 (for NAD 

83) 

SYMBOL A MapInfo Symbol clause (for a layer 

containing points) 

XCOLUMNNAME Specify the name of the column containing X 

coordinates. 

YCOLUMNNAME Specify the name of the column containing Y 

coordinates. 

RENDITIONTYPE Specify 1 if on, 0 if off. 1 

Earth 

Projection 1,0 

Symbol 

(35,0,12) 

NO_COLUMN 

NO_COLUMN 

RENDITIONCOLUMN Specify the name of the rendition column. MI_SYMBOLOGY



RENDITIONTABLE Specify the name of the rendition table. 

This field is not used. 

NUMBER_ROWS Specify the number of rows in the table. 11 

left empty 


MapInfo Map Interchange 

Format 

To ensure file format backward compatibility we provide a file version 

comparison in this Appendix. 


� File Versions and TAB, MIF/MID, and WOR Support. . . . . . . . . .480 

D

Chapter D: MapInfo Map Interchange Format 

File Versions and TAB, MIF/MID, and WOR Support 


The following table lists changes (and their implications) to versions in .tab, workspace, and other 

files used by MapInfo Professional. 

• TAB files are always saved as 300 unless noted in the table 

• WOR files are always saved as 400 unless noted in the table 

• Once a table is 'upgraded' to a later version, MapInfo Professional does not 'downgrade' it to an 

earlier version if the feature which forced the 'upgrade' is removed. 

• Workspaces are written fresh each time, and so can be 'downgraded' if there are no features that 

require the 'upgrade' 

• MIF/MID files created by exporting TAB files match the version of the TAB file 

– Pen(0,0,0) and Brush(0,0,0) which were are no longer valid 

– Line widths in points is encoded in the Pen clause by multiplying the line width value by 10 

and adding 10 to the result (.2 -> 12, 1.0 -> 20, etc.). This forces a 450 in the MIF file header. 

– Interleaved line styles are encoded in the Pen clause by increasing the line style value by 

128. This does not force a 450 workspace, it is 4.x compatible, and is saved as 400. 

Version 

Number TAB 

File versions and TAB, MIF/MID, and WOR Support 

MIF - 

MID WOR Action 

400 X Table is a linked ODBC table. 

X X X Tab version stays at 300 with interleaved. 

X Saved queries (controlled by 'Save Queries in 

Workspaces' check box in Options > Preferences > 

Startup dialog) are implemented as straight Select 

statements. 

410 X X Table uses MS Access DB's. 

450 X X Region and polyline objects, that have more than 32K 

nodes (actually !edit_version 450 and !version 300). 

X X Table uses point sized line widths. 

X X Table is a query table. 

X Workspaces that specify dot density color (shade ... 

density... color). 

X Workspaces that specify interleaved line style, width in 

points (Pen (1,2,x)). 

X X Table uses a Datum or ellipsoid released in a specific 

version 

452 X X Regional Mercator projection - number 26. 


Version 

Number TAB 



File versions and TAB, MIF/MID, and WOR Support (continued) 

MIF - 


500 X X Table specifies a 'grid' file (*.MIG, raster style = 6 1) 

X Workspaces that contain surface thematic layers 

(inflection). 

X Workspaces that contain cartographic legends (Create 

Cartographic Legend). 

550 X X Polyconic projection - number 27. 

X X Irish (WOFO) ellipsoid - number 49. 

X X Table is a linked\live Oracle 8i table. 

X Workspaces with Oracle 8i connection information. 

X Workspaces that include surface thematics with 

Hillshading. 


version. 

600 X Save a workspace with a 3D Map. 

X X Azimuthal Equidistant projection, Oblique aspect - 

number 28. 

X X Everest (Pakistan) ellipsoid - number 50. 

X X ATS 77 ellipsoid - number 51. 


Version 

Number TAB 




MIF - 


New Datums introduced in Version 6.0. Their numbers 

are in a range 115-150 (115 and 150 included) and 

1004-1011 (1004 and 1011 included). 

As of this release MapInfo Professional writes the 

Datum number if all the parameters match to the 

parameters of our internal Datum table. The application 

writes the FIRST datum number with these 

parameters, that are in our internal table. That means 

that if a table was created using Datums EUREF89 

(115), GDA94 (116)or NZGD2000 (117), the MIF file 

will have Datum GRS 80 (33) written into it and MIF file 

version would not be incremented. 

Since MapInfo Professional does not write datum 

number into TAB file, version will be incremented only if 

ellipsoid is new. 

� As of version 8.0, MapInfo Professional now 

writes a datum index number into MAP file, so 

this is no longer always the case. 

X Workspace includes Advanced Printer settings. 

X Workspace includes a Hotlink. 

X Workspace includes a 3D Mapper window. 

X Workspaces that include new clip region settings. 


version. 

650 X X New object types: Multipoint and Collection (actually 

!edit_version 650 and !version 300). 

X X Cassini-Soldner projection (number 30). 

X X Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection - Oblique 

aspect (number 29). 

X Cassini-Soldner projection for the map window. 

X Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection (Oblique 

aspect) for the map window. 


Version 

Number TAB 




MIF - 


X New object types (Multipoint and Collection) created in 

a cosmetic layer or in a layout. 

X Save a workspace with a Prism Map. 

700 X TAB file linked to a shapefile. 

X X X #152 - JGD2000 datum used in Japan. 

#1012 - PZ90 datum based on PZ90 ellipsoid. This 

datum is used in Russia. 

#1013 - SK42 datum based on PZ90 ellipsoid. This 


#1014 - SK95 datum based on PZ90 ellipsoid. This 


"Longitude / Latitude (Russia PZ90)", 1, 1012. 

“Longitude / Latitude (Russia SK42)", 1, 1013. 

“Longitude / Latitude (Russia SK95)", 1, 1014. 

Double Stereographic projection. 

ATS77 (which uses ATS77 ellipsoid). 

Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick Projection. 

X ROP Method selected for advanced options for Save 

Window As or Printing 

750 X TAB files can include Web Map Service (WMS) data. 

X Workspaces can include Advanced Printer settings 

(scale patterns). 

X Workspaces can include cartographic legends with 

custom layouts. 

780 X X TAB files can include Web Feature Service (WFS) 

data. 

X Workspaces can include cartographic legends. The 

workspace will always include a clause for swatch size 

that cannot be parsed by earlier versions of MapInfo 



Version 

Number TAB 



X Workspaces can include mappers with dot-density 

thematics. The workspace will always include a clause 

for dot size that cannot be parsed by earlier versions of 


800 X Workspaces using custom ordered Individual Value 

Legends. 

800 Edit 

Version 


MIF - 


X Workspaces using Replace layer style. 

X Workspaces using different legend swatch styles. 

X Workspaces using thematic Legend alignment. 

X X X Ellipsoid#: 53 Name: Xian 1980 - used in China. 

X X Datum#: 1017 Name: XIAN 1980 - based on Xian 1980 

ellipsoid #53 for China. 

X X Datum#: 154 Name: Beijing 1954 - used in China. 

X X Datum#: 153 Name: HGRS87 - used in Greece. 

X X Datum#: 1018 Name: Lithuanian Pulkovo 1942 - used 

in Lithuania. 

X X Datum#: 1019 Name: Belgian 1972 7 parameters - 

used in Belgium. 

X Objects with greater than 1M nodes, >32K 

polygons\polylines. 

X Objects with greater than 1M nodes, >32K 

polygons\polylines. 

X SHP\TAB files that contain Z\M values. 

850 X Open Table as VMGrid or VMRaster. 

X Raster Image Reprojection, Image Resampling. 

X Export with Anti-Aliasing . 

X Redistricting with Percentages 

900 X X X DateTime type. 

X X X JTSK Projection #32. 


Version 

Number TAB 




MIF - 


X X Datum# 1020 Name: S-JTSK (Ferro Prime Meridian). 

X New to MapBasic: 

• RegionInfo - The GELink tool needs a way to 

determine the orientation of points in polygons 

• SystemInfo - Extend SystemInfo to return the build 

number 

X Curved Labels. 

X Open Universal Tables . 

950 X Enhanced Labels (Map > Options). 

X Enhanced Layouts (Smoothed Text, Smooth Lines and 

Borders, Image smoothing) 

X Translucent Labels (Requires Enhanced Mappers) 

X Set Map Layer Label Percent Over token for curved 

labels 

X Enhanced Browsers (smoothed text, antialias) 

X Enhanced Mappers (Smoothed Labels and Text, 

Smooth Lines and Borders, Image smoothing) 

X Vector Translucency (Mapper Layers and Layout 

Objects) 

X X Datum#: 155 Name: LGD 2006) – Used in Libya 

Datum#: 156 Name: Dealul Piscului 1970 – Used in 

Romania 

X Addition to Create Text statement for Pen clause for 

callout lines 

X X X WFS-T 

X X X Popular Visualization Ellipsoid #54 

X X X Popular Visualization Datum #57 

X Oracle's Annotation Text type 

1000 X Table from a PostGIS Database 


CharSet 



The CharSet clause specifies which character set was used to create text in the table. For example: 

Specify “WindowsLatin1” to indicate that the file was created using the Windows US & Western 

Europe character set; specify “MacRoman” to specify the Macintosh US & Western Europe 

character set; or specify “Neutral” to avoid converting the text into another character set. If you are 

not using one of these character sets, you can determine the correct syntax for your character set by 

exporting a table and examining the .MIF file in a text editor. 

Delimiter 

Version 

Number TAB 

Specify the delimiting character in quotation marks, for example: 

DELIMITER ”;” 


MIF - 


X Table from a SQL 2008 Database 

X Table containing UTF-8 charset definition 

X Table that opens Excel 2007 *.xlsx file 

X Table that opens Access 2007 *.accdb file 

X Workspace with a Group Layer 

X Workspace with ScaleBar Adornment 

1050 X TileServer Table 

X Workspace that uses USNG Grid reference system 

X Stacked Style 

X Style Override 

X Label Override 

X Multiple Style Override (Stacked Styles) 

X X X Equidistant Cylindrical Projection #33 

The default delimiter is Tab; if you are using the default, you do not need the DELIMITER line. 


Unique 

Index 



Specify a number. This number refers to a database column; 3 is the third column, 7 is the seventh 

column, and so forth. What happens to columns in the UNIQUE list is subtle. For example, imagine 

that you have a database with highways in it. Each highway has only one name, but it might be 

represented by several segments. You would put the NAME column in the UNIQUE list, while the 

column containing data for the individual segments would not be in that list. This has the effect of 

creating two related tables; one with names, and one with the other attributes of the objects. This is 

how Pitney Bowes Software Inc.’s various street maps (StreetPro) are prepared. 

To indicate that columns in the table are indexed, include a number (or a comma-separated list of 

numbers) in the Index clause. Each number refers to a database column; 3 is the third column, 7 is 

the seventh column, and so forth. Columns in the INDEX list will have indexes prepared for them. 

CoordSys Clause 

Specify the COORDSYS clause to note that the data is not stored in longitude/latitude form. When 

no COORDSYS clause is specified, data is assumed to be stored in longitude/latitude form. 

All coordinates are stored with respect to the northeast quadrant. The coordinates for points in the 

United States have a negative X while coordinates for points in Europe (east of Greenwich) have a 

positive X. Coordinates for points in the Northern hemisphere have a positive Y while coordinates for 

points in the Southern hemisphere have a negative Y. 

Syntax1 

CoordSys Earth 

[ Projection type, 

datum, 

unitname 

[ , origin_longitude ] 

[ , origin_latitude ] 

[ , standard_parallel_1 [ , standard_parallel_2 ] ] 

[ , azimuth ] 

[ , scale_factor ] 

[ , false_easting ] 

[ , false_northing ] 

[ , range ] ] 

[ Affine Units unitname, A, B, C, D, E, F ] 

[ Bounds ( minx, miny) ( maxx, maxy ) ] 

Syntax2 

CoordSys Nonearth 

[ Affine Units unitname, A, B, C, D, E, F ] 

Units unitname 

Bounds ( minx, miny ) ( maxx, maxy ) 

Syntax3 

CoordSys Layout Units paperunitname 


Syntax4 

CoordSys Table tablename 



Syntax5 

CoordSys Window window_id 

type is a positive integer value representing which coordinate system to use 

datum is a positive integer value identifying which datum to reference 

unitname is a string representing a distance unit of measure (for example, -m" for meters); for a 

list of unit names, see Set Distance Units 

origin_longitude is a float longitude value, in degrees 

origin_latitude is a float latitude value, in degrees 

standard_parallel_1 and standard_parallel_2 are float latitude values, in degrees 

azimuth is a float angle measurement, in degrees 

scale_factor is a float scale factor 

range is a float value from 1 to 180, dictating how much of the Earth will be seen 

minx is a float specifying the minimum x value 

miny is a float specifying the minimum y value 

maxx is a float specifying the maximum x value 

maxy is a float specifying the maximum y value 

paperunitname is a string representing a paper unit of measure (for example, -in" for inches); for 

a list of unit names, see Set Paper Units 

tablename is the name of an open table 

window_id is an Integer window identifier corresponding to a Map or Layout window 

A performs scaling or stretching along the X axis. 

B performs rotation or skewing along the X axis. 

C performs shifting along the X axis. 

D performs scaling or stretching along the Y axis. 

E performs rotation or skewing along the Y axis. 

F performs shifting along the Y axis. 

Transform Clause 

When you have MIF files with coordinates stored with respect to the northwest quadrant (quadrant 

2), you can transform them to the northeast quadrant (quadrant 1) with a transform clause. 

Quadrant 2: Northwest Quadrant Quadrant 1: Northeast Quadrant 

Quadrant 3: Southwest Quadrant Quadrant 4: Southeast Quadrant 

The transform clause has the following syntax: 

TRANSFORM Xmultiplier, Ymultiplier, Xdisplacement, Ydisplacement 

To transform quadrant 2 data into quadrant 1 data, use the following transform clause: 


TRANSFORM -1,0,0,0 

The zeroes instruct MapInfo Professional to ignore that parameter. 



When you have an application which creates MIF files in quadrant 2, you can: 

• Add the TRANSFORM clause to the MIF files 

• Change the application so that it creates coordinates in quadrant 1 

• Change the application so that it adds a TRANSFORM clause to the MIF files 

Columns 

Specify the number of columns. Then, for each column, create a row containing the column name, 

the column type, and, for character and decimal columns, a number to indicate the width of the field. 

� Field names cannot have spaces. 

Valid column types are: 

• char (width) 

• integer (which is 4 bytes) 

• smallint (which is 2 bytes, so it can only store numbers between -32767 and +32767) 

• decimal (width,decimals) 

• float 

• date 

• logical 

This is an example of the columns section of the header: 

COLUMNS 3 

STATE char (15) 

POPULATION integer 

AREA decimal (8,4) 

For the database specified in this header, the MID file has three columns: 

• a 15 character field that represents the STATE column, 

• an integer field that represents the POPULATION column, 

• an AREA column that consists of a decimal field with up to 8 total characters (digits, decimals 

points, and optional sign) and 4 digits after the decimal. 


Glossary of Terms 

E

Term Definition 

Chapter E: Glossary of Terms 

3DMap A window that allows you to view your maps containing continuous grids from various 

viewpoints in 3D Format. 

Add Node 

Button 

Address 

Dictionary 

Use the Add Node button to add a node to regions, polylines, and arcs. You can add 

nodes when the Reshape tool is in effect. Adding nodes can give more precision to your 

object. 

The search dictionary used for matching addresses during geocoding. 

Adornment A map decoration, such as a title, scale bar, or company logo, that provides contextual 

information for the map view. 

Alias The name assigned to an expression or a column when you are working in the Select 

Columns field in the SQL Select dialog box. This name appears as the column title for 

that expression or column in a Browser. 

Application A computer program used for a particular kind of work, such as word processing. 

Application is often interchangeable with the word program. 

Arc Button The Arc button allows you to access the Arc tool. Use the Arc tool to draw an arc the 

size and shape of one quarter of an ellipse. Once you have created an arc, you can 

reshape it to the desired size. 

ASCII The acronym for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. ASCII is a 

standard code used in most microcomputers, computer terminals, and printers for 

representing characters as numbers. It not only includes printable characters, but also 

control codes to indicate carriage return, backspace, and so forth. 

Assign 

Selected 

Objects Button 

Use this button to permanently assign all selected map objects to the target district. 

Attribution Text Text added to a tile server table definition that automatically displays when a tile server 

layer is in a map window. Some tile servers require attribution text, such as origin and 

copyrights information (the tile server author or distributor provides attribution text 

requirements). 

Axis Used in a graph, these are graduated lines bordering the plot area of a graph. Location 

coordinates are measured relative to the axes. By convention the X-axis is horizontal, 

the Y-axis is vertical. 

Bar Chart A type of thematic map that displays a bar chart of thematic variables for each record in 

a table from which the map is based. 



Base Map Usually the dominant or underlying layer in a given map. (These are typically the data 

layers that Pitney Bowes Software Inc. offers as ready products.) Users usually layer 

their own data on top of these base maps or use these base maps to geocode or to 

make new layers. Examples are joining industry data to postal code boundaries for 

analysis and then combining arrangements of the postal codes into new territory layers. 

Base Table A permanent table, which is part of a map, as opposed to a query table, which is 

temporary. You can edit the contents of base tables, and you can change their structure 

(by editing, deleting, reordering columns and adding or deleting graphic objects). 

Bitmap A screen image displayed as an array of dots or bits. Software usually generates either 

bit-mapped (raster) or object-oriented (vectored) files. MapInfo Professional can work 

with both. 

Boundary 

Region 


Boundary 

Select Button 

In GIS a boundary is a region on a map enclosed by a border. Cambria County, 

Manitoba, and Argentina would all be represented as boundaries on a map. Note that a 

single boundary could encompass several polygons. Thus, Indonesia is a single 

boundary but consists of many polygons. 

The Boundary Select button allows you to access the Boundary Select tool. Use the 

Boundary Select Tool to search for and choose all the objects within a given region, 

such as a state or county boundary, a police patrol district, a sales territory, and so forth. 

Browser A window for viewing a table (or database, spreadsheet or text file) in tabular form. 

Buffer A type of proximity analysis where areas or zones of a given distance are generated 

around selected map objects. Buffers are user-defined or can be generated for a set of 

objects based on those objects’ attribute values. The resulting buffer zones form region 

objects representing the area that is within the specified buffer distance from the object. 

Cadastral A map set used to graphically define the cadastre or land ownership in a given area. A 

tax map is an example of a cadastral map. The land registration, assessment roles, and 

tax maps comprise the cadastre. 

Cancel Button A command button for closing a dialog box without making changes. 

Cartesian A coordinate system using an x,y scale not tied to any “real-world” system. Most CAD 

drawing uses this method of registering objects (for example, a drawing of a ball-bearing 

assembly, floor plans). If a drawing uses Cartesian coordinates, one corner of the 

drawing probably has coordinates 0, 0. 

Cartesian 

Coordinates 

Cartographic 

Legend 

The conventional representation of geometric objects by x and y values on a plane. 

A MapInfo Professional legend window that enables you to display cartographic 

information for any map layer in the Map window. 



Cartographic 

Scale 


A map scale that does not include distance units, such as 1:63,360 or 1:1,000,000. 

Cartography The art and science of making maps. In GIS it is also the graphic presentation and visual 

interpretation of data. 

Centroid Usually the center of a map object. For most map objects, the centroid is located at the 

middle of the object (the location halfway between the northern and southern extents 

and halfway between the eastern and western extents of the object). In some cases, the 

centroid is not at the middle point because there is a restriction that the centroid must be 

located on the object itself. Thus, in the case of a crescent-shaped region object, the 

middle point of the object may actually lie outside the limits of the region; however, the 

centroid is always within the limits of the region. 

Change View 

Button 

In MapInfo Professional, the centroid represents the location used for automatic 

labeling, geocoding, and placement of thematic pie and bar charts. If you edit a map in 

Reshape mode, you can reposition region centroids by dragging them. 

This button allows you to change the zoom, map scale, and window centering aspects of 

the Map or Layout that currently displays. 

Check Box A small square box that appears in a dialog box. You can click in the check box or on the 

text in order to select the option. Check boxes are generally present when multiple 

options can be selected at one time. 

Click To press and release a mouse button quickly. 

Column A column in a Browser corresponds to a field in a table. A column contains a specific 

type of information about an object, such as Name, Abbreviation, Land area, Price, 

Population, and so forth. The information for each object is listed on a row in the 

Browser. 

Command A word or phrase, usually found in a menu, that displays a dialog box and/or carries out 

an action. 

Conflict 

Resolution 

When conflicts exist between the data residing on a remote database and new data that 

you want to upload to the remote database via a MapInfo Professional linked table. The 

conflict resolution process is invoked whenever an attempt to save the linked table 

detects a conflict in an update. 

Control Menu A menu activated through the Control Menu Box located in the upper left corner of all 

windows. The control menu is used to resize, move, maximize, minimize, or close the 

window. 

Control Points The points on a raster image whose coordinates serve as a reference for associating 

earth coordinates with any location on the image. See Registration on page 503. 




Coordinate An x,y location in a Cartesian coordinate system, or a Latitude, Longitude location in an 

earth coordinate system. Coordinates represent locations on a map relative to other 

locations. Earth coordinate systems may use the equator and the Greenwich prime 

meridian as fixed reference points. Plane coordinate systems describe a twodimensional 

x,y location in terms of distance from a fixed reference and are usually in 

the first quadrant so that all coordinates are positive numbers. 

Coordinate 

System 

A coordinate system is used to create a numerical representation of geometric objects. 

Each point in a geometric object is represented by a pair of numbers. Those numbers 

are the coordinates for that point. In cartography, coordinate systems are closely related 

to projections. You create a coordinate system by supplying specific values for the 

parameters of a projection. See Cartesian Coordinates on page 492, Projection on 

page 502, and Spherical Coordinates on page 504. 

Cosmetic Layer The topmost layer of a Map window. Objects may be placed in this layer such as map 

titles and graphic objects. It is always displayed, and all objects placed in the Cosmetic 

Layer must be saved to a new or existing layer. 

Data 

Aggregation 

Data 

Disaggregation 

A process that occurs when combining separate map objects into a single object. 

MapInfo Professional calculates what the column values for the new object should be, 

based on sums or averages of the values of the original objects. 

A process that occurs when splitting a map object(s) into smaller parts where MapInfo 

Professional splits the data associated with the map object(s) into smaller parts to match 

the new map objects. 

Data Sources An ODBC data source is an SQL database and the information you need to access that 

database. For example, an SQL Server data source is the SQL Server database, the 

server on which it resides, and the network used to access that server. 

Database Any organized collection of data. The term is often used to refer to a single file or table of 

information in MapInfo Professional. 

Decimal Degree The decimal representation of fractions of degrees. Many paper maps express 

coordinates in degrees, minutes, seconds (for example, 40_30i10I), where minutes and 

seconds are fractions of degrees. 30 minutes equal half a degree, and 30 seconds equal 

half a minute. MapInfo Professional, however, expresses coordinates in decimal 

degrees (for example, 72.558 degrees), where fractions of degrees are expressed as 

decimals. Thus, the longitude: 40 degrees, 30 minutes, would be expressed in MapInfo 

Professional as 40.5 degrees. 

Default The value or option used in the absence of explicit specification. Often the original 

setting or value for a variable. 


Degrees 

Longitude, 

Degrees 

Latitude, 

Decimal 

Degrees 

Derived 

Column 


Degrees (longitude and latitude) are coordinates used to represent locations on the 

surface of the earth. Longitude, or X-coordinate, represents a location’s east-west 

position, where any location west of the prime meridian has a negative X value. Latitude, 

or Y-coordinate, represents a location’s north-south position, where any location south 

of the equator has a negative Y value. 

In a table created through the SQL Select, a derived column is one created by using an 

expression. The column is derived in the sense that it isn’t just a copy of the data in one 

of the tables being accessed by the SQL Select command. 

Derived Field The same as a derived column. 

Deselect The process of undoing a selection. The object or area you deselect will not be affected 

by subsequent commands. Performed by selecting another area, by clicking in a blank 

area, or by executing the Unselect All command. 

Digitizer, 

Digitizing 

Tablet 

Districts 

Browser 

Dot Density 

Map 

Drawing 

Toolbar 


An electronic device that lets you trace a paper map into a GIS or CAD package. The 

digitizer consists of a table (or tablet) onto which you attach a paper map. You then can 

trace the map by moving a hand-held, mouse-like device known as a cursor, or puck, 

across the surface. Digitizing a map produces vector data as the end result. 

A special browser that displays when redistricting. It differs from other Browser windows 

in the following respects: one row can only be selected at one time, one row is always 

selected, and the selected row becomes the target district into which you can add other 

objects. 

A type of thematic map that carries information by showing a large number of tiny dots, 

wherein each dot represents some specific unit quantity. For example, for a population 

dot density map each dot might represent 10,000 people. 

A MapInfo Professional window containing twelve buttons that access tools for drawing 

and modifying objects on your map or layout. 

Edit Handle The small boxes that appear at the four corners of the minimum bounding rectangle of 

an object in an editable layer of a Map window or in a Layout window. 

Ellipse Button The Ellipse button allows you to access the Ellipse tool. Use the Ellipse tool to create 

elliptical and round objects. 

Export The process whereby a program saves information in a file to be used by another 

program. 

Expression A statement containing two parts: 1) column names and constants (for example, specific 

data values), and 2) functions (for example, area) and operators (for example, +, -, >), in 

order to extract or derive information from a database. Expressions are used in Select, 

SQL Select, Update Column, Create Thematic Map, and Label with Column. 




Field A field in a table corresponds to a column in a Browser. A field contains a specific type of 

information about an object, such as, name, abbreviation, land area, price, population, 

and so forth. The record for each object consists of that object’s values for each of the 

fields in the database. 

File A collection of information that has been given a name and is stored on some electronic 

medium such as a tape or disk. A file can be a document or an application. 

Fill Pattern The design and color used to fill a closed object. 

FLEXNet 

Operations 

module (FNO) 

The Pitney Bowes Business Insight database that maintains product entitlements and 

information about their activation. 

Font A character set based on a particular style used for text characters. 

Frame Button The Frame button allows you to create frames in a layout. Each frame can display a 

map, graph, Browser, map legend, graph legend, Info window, statistics window, and 

message window or, it can be an empty frame. 

Generalization The process of simplifying a data set to a size that can be easily manipulated and 

represented. For example, a river may have many twists and turns; however, if a map 

covers a very large area, the river may be represented as a straight line. Similarly, in a 

map of a very large area, a city might be represented as a point marker. 

Geocode The process of assigning X and Y coordinates to records in a table or database so that 

the records can be displayed as objects on a map. 

Geographic 

Information 

System (GIS) 

Georegistered 

PDF 

An organized collection of computer hardware and software designed to efficiently 

create, manipulate, analyze, and display all types of geographically or spatially 

referenced data. A GIS allows complex spatial operations that are very difficult to do 

otherwise. 

A PDF file that has geospatial information (bounds and coordinate systems) of map or 

layout window that it prints. 

Grabber Button The Grabber Button allows you to access the Grabber tool. Use the Grabber tool to 

reposition a map or layout within its window. 

Graduated 

Symbols Map 

A type of thematic map that shows symbols (point objects) in a variety of sizes to 

indicate which objects have higher or lower numerical values. 

Graph window A window that displays numerical data in the form of a graph. 

Graticule A grid of horizontal (latitude) and vertical (longitude) lines displayed on an earth map, 

spaced at a regular distance (for example, every five degrees, every fifteen degrees). 

Used to establish a frame of reference. 


Grid Surface 

Map 

Heads-Up 

Digitizing 


A type of thematic map that displays data as continuous color gradations across the 

map. This type of thematic map is produced by an interpolation of point data from the 

source table. A grid file from the data interpolation is generated and is displays as a 

raster image in a Map window. 

A method of digitizing where the user creates vector objects by tracing over a raster 

image displayed on the screen. Thus, heads-up digitizing does not require a digitizing 

tablet. 

Help Button Bar A bar located at the top of the Help Window that contains buttons you use to move to 

Help topics. 

Horizontal 

Scroll Bar 


The Horizontal scroll bar appears at the bottom of the MapInfo Professional window. 

Use the horizontal scroll bar to move left and right. The scroll box inside the scroll bar 

indicates your horizontal location. You can use the mouse to scroll to other parts of the 

window. 

Hot Views MapInfo Professional technology that automatically updates all the windows you have 

open for a particular table when you make a change in any one of the windows. For 

example, if an item is selected in a Map window, it will be selected in all other Map 

windows and Browsers you have open for that table. 

Import The process whereby a program loads a file that is the output of another program. 

Individual 

Values Map 

A type of thematic map that shades records according to individual values. 

Inflection The process of deviating the color in ranged thematic maps to emphasize some 

numerical significance. In thematic mapping we insert a new color between the top and 

bottom color for second interpolation of data. 

For example, suppose we were showing population growth with blue representing an 

increase in population growth and red representing a decrease in population growth. 

We could have white as the inflection color for a range that has zero or almost zero 

population growth, so that lighter shades of blue would represent a smaller population 

growth and lighter shades of red would represent a smaller decline in population. 

Info Button The Info button allows you to access the Info tool. Use the Info tool to select a location 

on your map, including multiple overlapping objects and display a list of all objects at 

that location. You can then choose an object from the list and view the tabular data for 

that object. 

Islands Small areas outside the main boundary that can be reached within the specified time or 

distance. 

IsoChrone An IsoChrone is a polygon or set of points representing an area that can be traversed 

from a starting point in a given amount of time along a given road network. 



IsoDistance An IsoDistance is a polygon or set of points representing an area that can be traversed 

from a starting point travelling a given distance along a given road network. 

Isogram An Isogram is a map that displays a set of points that satisfy a distance or time 

condition. Isograms are either IsoChrones or IsoDistances. 

Join The process of creating a relational link between two tables (databases). 

Latitude The horizontal lines on a map that increase from 0 degrees at the Equator to 90 degrees 

at both the North (+90.0 degrees) and South (-90.0 degrees) poles. Used to describe the 

North-South position of a point as measured usually in degrees or decimal degrees 

above or below the equator. 

Layer A layer is a basic building block of MapInfo Professional maps and consists of a table 

with graphic and text settings like style override, labeling, and zoom layering. Maps are 

made of one or more superimposed layers (for example, a layer of street data 

superimposed over a layer of county or postal code boundaries) which you can design to 

convey geographical or statistical information. Typically, each map layer corresponds to 

one open table. Cosmetic Layers contain map objects that represent temporary map 

annotations (for example, text objects). Cosmetic Layers contain map objects that 

represent temporary map annotations (for example, labels). See Cosmetic Layer on 

page 494 and Table on page 506. 

Layer Control 

Button 

The Layer Control Button allows you to access the Layer Control window. This dialog 

box allows you to specify how the various tables in a Map window are layered and 

displayed. See Accessing Layer Control on page 53. 

Layout Window A window where you arrange and annotate the contents of one or several windows for 

printing. 

Legend The part of a map, which explains the meaning of different colors, shapes, or fill patterns 

used on the map. See also Cartographic Legend on page 492. 

Legend Frames Each legend window contains one or more legend frames each corresponding to a style 

or theme layer in the Map window. 

Legend 

Window 

Legend 

Window Button 

Line, Line 

Object 


A window containing legend frames. You can create more than one legend window for 

each map. The legend window can contain more than one frame. For example, you can 

have one legend window containing four legend frames, or you can have four legend 

windows, each containing one legend frame. 

Use the Legend Window button to display the Legend window associated with maps or 

graphs. 

A map object defined by a set of sequential coordinates that may represent the 

generalized shape of a geographic feature (for example, street centerlines, railroads, 

cables). A Pitney Bowes Software Inc. street map is a collection of thousands of line 

objects. 



Line Button The Line button allows you to access the Line tool. Use the Line tool to draw straight 

lines. 

Line Style 

Button 


Use the Line Style button to access the Line Style dialog box. The Line Style dialog box 

allows you to set the line type, thickness and color of line objects (lines, arcs and 

polylines) and borders of closed objects. You can also change the type, thickness and 

color of objects you are editing. 

Linked Table A linked table is a special kind of MapInfo table that is downloaded from a remote 

database and retains connections to its remote database table. You can perform most 

operations on a linked table that you do for a regular MapInfo table. 

Longitude The vertical lines on a map, running from the North to South poles, used to describe the 

east-west position of a point. The position is reported as the number of degrees east (to 

-180.0 degrees) or west (to +180.0 degrees) of the prime meridian (0 degrees). Lines of 

longitude are farthest apart at the Equator and intersect at both poles, and therefore, are 

not parallel. 

Longitude/ 

Latitude 

MapInfo Professional’s default coordinate system for representing geographic objects in 

a map. 

Main Toolbar A window containing buttons for choosing tools, accessing dialog boxes, and showing or 

hiding windows. 

Map Catalog The MapInfo map catalog stores information about the location of spatial columns on the 

DBMS. There must be one catalog per database. The EasyLoader application can 

create this catalog for each database: Oracle, SQL Server, PostGIS, and MS Access. 

Additionally, you can create a map catalog manually with instructions in the MapInfo 

Professional User Guide. This is a one-time only task per database and is required 

before any tables on that database can be mapped in MapInfo Professional. 

Map Scale A statement of a measure of the map and the equivalent measure on the earth. Often 

expressed as a representative ratio of distance, such as 1:10,000. This means that one 

unit of distance on the map (for example, one inch) represents 10,000 of the same units 

of distance on the earth. 

The term scale must be used carefully. Technically, a map of a single city block is large– 

scale (for example, 1:12,000), while a map of an entire country is small–scale (for 

example, 1:1,000,000). A 1:1,000,000 map is considered small-scale because of the 

small numeric value obtained when you divide 1 by 1,000,000. 

Map Segment In a street map, a segment is a single section of the street. In urban maps, segments are 

generally one block long. Address ranges are stored at the segment level. 

MapBasic The programming language used to customize and/or automate MapInfo Professional. 

To create MapBasic applications, you need the MapBasic compiler, which is a separate 

product. However, you do not need the MapBasic compiler to run a compiled MapBasic 

application. 




Map Scale A ratio or representative fraction (RF), expressed as 1 inch = 63,360 mile or 1:1,000,000 

(1 cm to 10 km), that indicates the relationship between a distance on the map and the 

distance on the ground. 

See also Cartographic Scale. 

Map window A window that allows you to view a table as a map. 

Meridian A line or a portion of a line running from the North to the South pole. A longitudinal line. 

Military Grid 

Reference 

System 

Minimum 

Bounding 

Rectangle 

(MBR) 

Native 

Projection 

The U.S. Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) is a grid reference system that 

MapInfo Professional supports when displaying maps in a Map window. It is the military 

version of the civilian-use Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) grid system. Military 

grid references are very similar to the mathematical Cartesian x,y system in which 

coordinates are giving in terms of x (easting) and y (northing). 

In this system, the world is generally divided into 6° by 8° geographic areas, each of 

which is given a unique identification, called the Grid Zone Designation. These areas are 

covered by a pattern of 100,000-meter squares. Each square is identified by two letters 

called the 100,000-meter square identifications. A reference keyed to a gridded map of 

any scale is made by giving the 100,000- meter square identification together with the 

numerical location. Numerical references within the 100,000-meter square are given to 

the desired accuracy in terms of the easting (E) and northing (N) grid coordinates for the 

point. The Grid Zone Designation usually is prefixed to the identification when 

references are made in more than one grid zone designation area. 

For any given map object, the smallest rectangle that completely encompasses the 

object. 

The projection in which a map’s coordinate points are stored. MapInfo Professional 

allows you to display maps in other projections, but not as fast as displaying maps in 

their native projection. 

Node An end-point of a line object, or an end-point of a line segment which is part of a polyline 

or region object. 

Non-Earth Map A map in which objects are not explicitly referenced to locations on the earth’s surface. 

Floor plans are typical examples. 

ODBC Drivers An ODBC driver is a dynamic-link library (.DLL) file that MapInfo Professional uses to 

connect to an SQL database. Each type of SQL database requires a different ODBC 

driver. 

ODBC Table An ODBC table is a table residing in a remote SQL database. 



OSGB 

MasterMap 

GML Files 


Many of our international customers want to display MasterMap GML files developed by 

the Ordnance Survey of Great Britain (OSGB). We provide support for some of the 

Topography features (OSGB version 2.0), Topographic Area, Lines and Points, 

Cartographic Symbols and Boundary Lines. 

We maintain support for these features and add support for Cartographic Text and 

Departed Features. MapInfo Professional will continue to support GML files as the 

OSGB updates the schema that underlies the GML technology. 

As the GML format gets more sophisticated in its support of additional layers, feature 

types, and attributes, we will continue to provide full support for those changes. 

Currently, we support the OSGB recommended styles by mapping the style definitions 

to existing MapInfo Professional styles. Where it is not possible to render complicated fill 

patterns, we use the simple dot screen that the OSGB recommended to us. The OSGB 

style mapping to MapInfo styles is hard coded so it cannot be changed. 

For more information about OS MasterMap see 

www.ordsvy.gov.uk/os_mastermap/home/home.htm. 

Outer Join A type of multi-table join where all the records in the specified tables are included in the 

result table, even records that do not match the join criteria. MapInfo Professional does 

not perform outer joins. 

Pack The process of compressing MapInfo tables so that they use less disk space. 

Pie Chart Map A type of thematic map that displays a pie chart of thematic variables for each record in 

the table from which the map is based. 

Pin Map, Push- 

Pin Map 

A type of map named after the practice of inserting push-pins into a wall map. A pin map 

features point objects. Geocoding a database is one way of creating a pin map. 

Pixel The acronym for picture element. The smallest dot that can be displayed on a computer 

screen. If a screen is described as having a resolution of 1,024 x 768, the screen shows 

1,024 pixels from right to left, and 768 pixels from top to bottom. Each character, object, 

or line on the screen is composed of numerous pixels. 

Point, Point 

Object 

A map object defined by a single X,Y coordinate pair. Each point object is represented 

by a symbol style (for example, circle, square, triangle, etc.). 

Point Size A unit of measurement equal to 1/72 of an inch. Used to measure character size. 

Pointer An arrow-shaped cursor on the screen that can be manipulated by a mouse. 

Polygon, 

Polygon Object 

A simple bounded region, simple in the sense that it does not consist of more than one 

polygon (where a boundary can consist of more than one polygon). The Polygon tool 

creates a single polygon. 

Polygon Button The Polygon button allows you to access the Polygon tool. Use the Polygon tool to draw 

polygons one side at a time. 


Polygon 

Overlay 

Polyline, 

Polyline Object 


A spatial operation that merges overlapping polygons from two layers to analyze those 

intersected areas or to create a third layer of new polygons. 

A linetype object made up of many line segments. It contains more than two nodes, that 

is, more than its end points. The Polyline tool creates a single polyline. In contrast, the 

Line tool only draws a single straight line (that is, a line defined by two nodes). 

Polyline Button The Polyline button allows you to access the Polyline tool. Use the Polyline Tool to draw 

polylines (a connected sequence of lines that are not closed). 

Projection A mathematical model that transforms the locations of features on the earth’s surface to 

locations on a two-dimensional surface, such as a paper map. Since a map is an 

attempt to represent a spherical object (the earth) on a flat surface, all projections have 

some degree of distortion. A map projection can preserve area, distance, shape or 

direction but only a globe can preserve all of these attributes. Some projections (for 

example, Mercator) produce maps well suited for navigation. Other projections (for 

example, equal-area projections, such as Lambert) produce maps well suited for visual 

analysis. 

Query Table A temporary table produced as the result of a Select, SQL Query, or by choosing objects 

in a Map window or records in a Browser and mapping, graphing, or browsing that 

selection. You cannot make edits and structural changes on query tables, but you can 

edit a selected set of rows in your source table through a query table. See Selection on 

page 504 and Base Table on page 492. 

Radius Select 

Button 

The Radius Select button allows you to access the Radius Select tool. Use this tool to 

select all of the objects within a certain radius. See Using the Radius Select Tool on 

page 189. 

Ranged Map A type of thematic map that displays data according to ranges set by the user. The 

ranges are shaded using colors or patterns. 

Raster Image A type of computerized picture consisting of row after row of tiny dots (pixels). Raster 

images are sometimes known as bitmaps. Aerial photographs and satellite imagery are 

common types of raster data found in GIS. A computer image can be represented in 

raster format or in vector format. See Scanning on page 504 and Vector Image on 

page 507. 

Record All the information about one object in a database or table. A record in a table 

corresponds to a row in a Browser. 

Rectangle 

Button 


The Rectangle button allows you to access the Rectangle tool. Use the Rectangle tool to 

draw rectangles and squares. 

Redistricting The process of assigning map objects to groups. As you assign map objects, MapInfo 

Professional automatically calculates totals for each group and displays the totals in a 

special Districts Browser. This process is sometimes known as load-balancing. 


Reference 

Grids 

Region, Region 

Object 

Region Style 

Button 


A matrix of letters and numbers that assist users in some style dialog boxes that identify 

specific line styles, colors, and patterns. 

An enclosed area defined by one or more polygons. If a region contains one or more 

lakes or islands, each lake or island is a separate polygon. A region is an object created 

with the Polygon tool. 

Use the Region Style button to access the Region Style dialog box. The Region Style 

dialog box allows you to specify the color, pattern, and borderline style of closed objects. 

You can also change the color and pattern of objects you are currently editing. 

Registration Usually the first stage of the digitizing process or when opening a raster image for the 

first time in MapInfo Professional. Before you can digitize a paper map or work with a 

raster image, you must point to several control points across the map, and enter their 

coordinates (for example, longitude, latitude). After you have registered the map, 

MapInfo Professional can associate a longitude, latitude position with any point on the 

map surface; this allows MapInfo Professional to perform area and distance 

calculations, and overlay multiple map layers in a single map. CAD systems as well as 

GIS systems utilize this process. See Control Points on page 493. 

Reshape 

Button 


The Reshape button toggles you in and out of Reshape mode. Use reshape to edit 

regions, polylines, lines, and points by moving, adding, and deleting nodes that define 

line segments. You can also copy and paste selected nodes to create new polylines. 

Reshape is very useful when you are creating sales territories or other merged 

boundaries. For example, you are merging ZIP Code boundaries to create school 

districts. Some ZIP Code boundaries fall into more than one school district. Use the 

Reshape button to reshape the school district to incorporate a section of the ZIP Code 

boundary. See Reshaping Map Objects on page 176. 

Result Code Result codes indicate whether a geocode match was made and the type of match it was, 

and conveys information about the quality of the match. The result code is an 

alphanumeric code of 1-10 characters. 

Rounded 

Rectangle 

Button 

The Rounded Rectangle button allows you to access the Rounded Rectangle tool. Use 

the Rounded Rectangle tool to draw rounded rectangles and squares. 

Ruler Button The Ruler button allows you to determine the distance between two points and the 

length of some path. 

Run MapBasic 

Program 

Button 

The Run MapBasic Program button accesses the Run MapBasic Application dialog box 

where you specify the MapBasic program you want to run. 

Scale Bar An adornment on the map that shows the scale of map representation relative to the 

portion of the Earth’s surface. 



Scanning The process of inputting data into a raster format using an optical device called a 

scanner. 

Scroll Bar Bars along the right and bottom sides of each window that allow you to scroll the window 

view. Clicking on the shaded area moves one window screen at a time. 

Select Button The Select button allows you to access the Select tool. Use the Select tool to select one 

or more objects or records for analysis. You can also use the Select tool to edit a map, 

layout or browser. See Selecting a Single Object from a Map or Layout on page 187. 

Selection A data item or set of data items chosen for inspection and/or analysis. Regardless of the 

kinds of windows on the screen, selections can be made using the Select and SQL 

Select Query commands in MapInfo Professional’s Query menu. In Browsers and Map 

windows, items can be placed in the selection set by clicking on them individually. Map 

windows also have special tools for selecting multiple items on a spatial basis. 

Set Target 

District from 

Map Button 

Show 

MapBasic 

Window Button 

Use this button to make the selected object's district the new target district. See 

Redistricting on page 502. 

The MapBasic window button allows you to display or hide the MapBasic window. You 

can perform many different tasks by typing commands into the MapBasic window. 

Choosing items from MapInfo Professional’s menus could instead perform those same 

tasks. There are times, however, when it is easier to type commands into the command 

window. 

Snap To Nodes A feature that helps in drawing, moving and positioning map objects. In Snap mode (S 

key) the cursor snaps to a node of a map object when it comes within a certain distance. 

Source Table A permanent table, as opposed to a query table, which is temporary. You can edit the 

contents of source tables and you can change their structure (by editing, deleting, 

reordering columns and adding or deleting graphic objects). You cannot make edits and 

structural changes on query tables but you can edit a selected set of rows in your source 

table through a query table. 

Spatial 

Analysis 


Spherical 

Coordinates 

SQL 

(Structured 

Query 

Language) 

An operation that examines data with the intent to extract or create new data that fulfills 

some required condition or conditions. It includes such GIS functions as polygon overlay 

or buffer generation and the concepts of contains, intersects, within or adjacent. 

Latitude and longitude values that represent objects on the surface of the globe. 

A standard language used for analyzing information stored in relational databases. 

MapInfo Professional’s database engine is based on the SQL standard. 



SQL Query The selection of information from a database according to the textual attributes and 

object relationships of the items. In MapInfo Professional, queries are created with the 

SQL Select and Select commands or with MapBasic commands in the MapBasic 

window. 

Stacked Style A list of styles drawn on top of each other to create a more complex or interesting map 

feature. Stacked styles apply to points, polylines, and polygon features. 

Standard 

Deviation 

Standard 

Toolbar 

Statistics 

Button 

Statistics 

Window 


A measurement of the variation of a set of data values around the mean. 

A window containing buttons for quick access to the most commonly used menu 

commands such as Cut, Copy, and Paste. 

Use the Statistics button to display the Statistics window. The Statistics window tallies 

the sum and average of all numeric fields for the currently chosen objects/records. The 

number of records chosen is also displayed. As the selection changes, the data is retallied, 

and the statistics window is updated automatically. See Redistricting on 

page 502 

A window containing the sum and average of all numeric fields for the currently selected 

objects/records. The number of records selected is also displayed. As the selection 

changes, the data is re-tallied, and the statistics window updates automatically. 

StatusBar A bar at the bottom of the screen that displays messages that help in using MapInfo 

Professional. The StatusBar also displays messages that pertain to the active window. 

In a Map window, the StatusBar indicates what layer is editable, the zoom display of the 

map, and the status of Snap and Digitizing modes. In a Browser window, the StatusBar 

indicates the number of records currently displaying and the total number of records. In 

a Layout window, the StatusBar indicates the zoom display as a percentage of the 

actual size of the map. 

Structured 

Query 

Language 

(SQL) 

A standard language used for analyzing information stored in relational databases. 

MapInfo Professional’s database engine is based on the SQL standard. 

Subselect A select statement that is placed inside the Where Condition field of the SQL Select 

dialog box. MapInfo Professional first evaluates the subselect and then uses the results 

of the subselect to evaluate the main SQL Select statement. 

Symbol, 

Symbol Object 

A small, relatively simple shape (for example, square, circle, star, push-pin) used to 

graphically represent a point object (for example, a customer location). 

Symbol Button The Symbol button allows you to access the Symbol tool. Use the Symbol tool to place 

point symbols (push pins) on your map 


Symbol Style 

Button 


Use the Symbol Style button to access the Symbol Style dialog box. The Symbol Style 

dialog box allows you to display symbols and specify attributes for symbols. The 

attributes you can specify are size, color, and symbol type. You can change the 

attributes of existing symbols and specify attributes for new point objects before you 

create them. The point objects must reside, or be created in an editable layer. See 

Symbol, Symbol Object. 

Table A table is made up of data in rows and columns. Each row contains information about a 

particular geographic feature, event, etc. Each column contains a particular kind of 

information about the items in the table. You can display tables with graphic information 

stored in them as maps. See Base Table on page 492 and Query Table on page 502. 

See also Layer on page 498. 

Table Row In a table, a row contains all the information for a single item. It corresponds to a record 

in a table. 

Target District The district that is selected in a Districts Browser to be affected by subsequent 

redistricting operations. 

Text Button Use the Text Button to add titles, labels, and annotations to maps and Layouts. You can 

also use the Text Tool to rotate text with its edit handle. 

Text Cursor A blinking vertical bar that shows the position where text can be edited, inserted, or 

deleted. 

Text Style 

Button 

Use the Text Style button to access the Text Style dialog box. The Text Style dialog box 

allows you to choose a font and font settings for your text. 

Thematic Layer A layer containing the thematic settings for a map layer. Thematic layers are drawn 

directly over the map layer on which the thematic settings are based. They are also 

drawn in a particular order, depending on the number of thematic layers you have and 

the type of thematic map objects you are creating. 

Thematic Map A type of map that uses a variety of graphic styles (for example, colors or fill patterns) to 

graphically display information about the map’s underlying data. Thus, a thematic map 

of sales territories might show one region in deep red (to indicate the region has a large 

number of customers), while showing another region in very pale red (to indicate the 

region has relatively few customers). 

Thematic 

Shading 

Thematic 

Variable 


Map objects — points, lines, regions — that have been shaded, using a pattern and/or 

color, according to some point of information about the object, or theme (population, 

size, annual rainfall, date, and so forth). 

The data values displayed on a thematic map. A thematic variable can be a field or 

expression. 




Theme Legend MapInfo Professional’s original style legend that allows you to display legends for 

thematic maps and graphs. MapInfo Professional automatically creates a theme legend 

window for a thematic map. Customize its display through the Modify Thematic Map 

dialog box. See Cartographic Legend on page 492. 

Tile Server A tile server is an online server that contains a collection of raster tile images that cover 

a place on the earth. Tiles are organized in a row and /or column grid fashion. There are 

multiple levels of tiles, each level representing a different resolution of data covering the 

same place on the earth. The level determines the number of tiles (number of rows and 

columns). Zooming in or out may change the level of data. Panning may change the 

number of tiles that are needed on the map. 

Toolbars MapInfo Professional windows that contain a variety of buttons used to access tools and 

commands for mapping and drawing. There are four Toolbars: the Standard Toolbar 

provides tools for commonly performed tasks, the Main Toolbar provides primary tools 

(for example, Zoom-in, Select, Info, etc.) and the Drawing Toolbar contains all drawing 

tools. The Tools Toolbar contains the Run MapBasic Program and the Show/Hide 

MapBasic Window buttons. Toolbars may be reshaped and hidden. 

Transformation The process of converting coverage coordinates from one coordinate system to another 

through programmatic translation. The transformation of CAD generated Cartesian 

coordinates into earth coordinates is an example. 

Ungeocode The process of removing X and Y coordinates from records in a table or database. Can 

also describe a table that has not been geocoded, such as an ungeocoded table. 

United States 

National Grid 

The United States National Grid for Spatial Addressing (USNG) is a grid reference 

system that defines how to present Universal Transverse Mercator(UTM) coordinates at 

various levels of precision by specifying the use of those coordinates within the grid 

system defined by the Military Grid Reference System (MGRS). Additionally, it 

addresses specific presentation issues such as grid spacing. The UTM coordinate 

representation, the MGRS grid, and the specific grid presentation requirements together 

define the USNG. 

Vector Image A coordinate-based data structure commonly used to represent map features. Each 

object is represented as a list of sequential x,y coordinates. Attributes may be 

associated with the objects. A computer image can be represented in vector format or in 

raster format. See Raster Image on page 502. 

Vertical Scroll 

Bar 

The Vertical scroll bar appears at the right of the most windows. Use the vertical scroll 

bar to move up and down. The scroll box inside the scroll bar indicates your vertical 

location. You can use the mouse to scroll to other parts of the window. 


Web Feature 

Services 

Web Map 

Services 


A Web Feature Service (WFS) client retrieves geospatial GML (Geography Markup 

Language)2 data using HTTP GET and HTTP POST requests over the Internet or 

through a private intranet. The WFS client was developed in accordance with the 1.0.0 

OpenGIS® Web Feature Service Implementation Specification, which is available 

online: http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/wfs. 

A Web Map Service (WMS) is a technology that gives you a source for data over your 

Intranet or over the Internet. This innovation is based on a specification from the Open 

GIS Consortium (OGC) and allows you to use raster map images from servers that also 

comply with the specification. An important element of this is that the WMS images are 

registered using the data’s coordinate system so the WMS layer can be used with vector 

and other registered raster images. 

This specification supports transparent pixel definition for image formats as well. This 

allows you to use the images you retrieve as overlays and not solely as the bottom layer 

of your map. This is a very new technology and WMS may not exist for the geography 

you are looking for. Further, the WMS Server determines the data that is provided. See 

Retrieving Map Data from Web Map Services in the Help System. 

Web Service A web service is a software system that is accessible using an intranet or Internet 

connection. Web services allow you to retrieve data that others are sharing internally or 

world-wide. The power of web services is that you can use them to create more powerful 

maps or in the case of geocoding or drive region services get more accurate and precise 

results using the same data. 

Weighted 

Average 

An average that gives more weight to one value over another when averaging. A method 

of averaging that uses a separate column of information to define the relative 

importance of each data value. The formula for a weighted average is: 

SUM(DATA*WEIGHT)/SUM(WEIGHT) 

where DATA is the column of data values and WEIGHT is the column of weights. If 

WEIGHT contains all 1’s (or other non-zero values) this reduces to a simple average. 

Window In MapInfo Professional, Map windows, Browser windows, Graph windows and Layout 

windows are the major types of windows. They display the data stored in tables. The 

Toolbars, map legends, and the Info tool window are other types of windows. 

Workspace A saved configuration of open MapInfo tables and windows. 

Zoom-in Button The Zoom-in button allows you to access the Zoom-in tool. Use the Zoom-in Tool to get 

a closer area view of a map or a layout. See Zoom Layering. 

Zoom-out 

Button 


The Zoom-out button allows you to access the Zoom-out tool. Use the Zoom-out tool to 

get a wider area view of a map or a layout. See Zoom Layering. 

Zoom Layering A setting that determines the range (for example, 0–3 miles, 2–5 miles, etc.) at which a 

layer is visible in a Map window. 




Index 

Numerics 

3D graphs 

choosing a 3D graph viewing angle 123 

customizing cube walls 122 

moving at an angle 123 

panning 122 

rotating 122 

templates 109 

using the 3D viewing angle 121 

3DMaps 

defined 491 

A 

Access tables 

creating .tab files from 338 

opening 73 

accessing secure Web sites 399 

active objects 

summary 423 

Add Node button 491 

Add Nodes button 158 

adding 

layers to Map windows 56 

nodes 158 

open windows to layouts 311 

records in browser windows 106 

rows to tables 100 

temporary columns to tables 94 

Address Dictionary 491 

address ranges 

matching to street number 360 

addresses 

geocoding precision 356 

adornment 

adding to map 305 

defined 491 

ADRG Format (*.gen) files 

raster format 91, 327 

Affine Transformations 

coordinate systems 392 

description 393 

aggregate functions, update column command 

104 

aggregating data 

SQL select command 219–220 

with set target model 280 

AirPhotoUSA Conterminous Coordinate System 

72 

AirPhotoUSA raster support 72 

aliases 

defined 491 

for columns 219 

aligning objects in a Layout window 315 

Arc button 491 

Arc Grid handler 328 

area 

graphs 110 

arrow keys, positioning selected objects 171 

ASCII files 

exporting to 88 

ASCII tables 

opening 73 

registering 342 

ASCII, defined 491 

ASRP Format (*.gen) files 


Assign Selected Objects button 491 

attributes 

cartographic legends 318 

graduated symbols 240 

map object 175 

attribution text 

defined 491 

tile servers 416 

authentication, tile servers 415 

AutoCAD 

DXF export 87 

opening in MapInfo Professional 345 

Autolabeler tool 


creating labels as text objects 295 

automatic 

labeling 297, 299, 301–302 

autotrace 

tracing existing objects 179 

axis, defined 491 

Azimuthal projections, range 387, 466 

B 

bar charts 

defined 491 

maps 237 

template 246 

bar graphs 110 

base maps, defined 492 

base tables, defined 492 

BIL files, raster format 91, 327 

Bing Aerial tile server 26 

adding layer to map 417 

Bing Hybrid tile server 

adding layer to map 26, 417 

bitmap (*.bmp) files 

defined 492 

export format 87 


bound objects, spatial queries 154 

boundaries 

boundary region defined 492 

geocoding 357, 361 

Boundary Select button 191, 492 

Bring to Front command 308 

Browser windows 

adding records 106 

defined 492 

displaying tables in 105 

format 80 

mouse wheel support 81, 100 

opening tables in 79–80 

seamless tables 68 

viewing graphic information 100 

bubble graphs 110 

buffer regions 

calculation types 275 

concentric ring 276 

convex hull 277 

creating 269, 271–273 

defined 492 

methods in creating 274 

radius 274 

saving as new layer 273 

segments per circle 274 

width distance 274 


C 

cadastral, defined 492 

CADRG Format files 


callout lines 301 

Cancel command 492 

cancelling selections 192 

Cartesian calculations 

buffer regions 274 

Cartesian coordinates defined 492 

cartographic legends 

attributes and metadata 318 

choosing layers 318 

creating 261 

defined 492 


in layouts 314 

cartographic scale, defined 493 

cartography, defined 493 

centroids 

defined 493 

displaying 59 

selecting using snap mode 177 

Change View button 493 

CharSet clause 486 

CIB format files 


clearing a target 283 

cloning a map 317 

closing tables 86 

collection objects 

grouping objects using 288 

color 

raster image options 331–332 

column aliases 

creating 219 

column graphs 111 

columns in a table 

adding temporary columns 94 

combining objects with 286 

creating expressions 200 

deriving 218 

finding duplicate values in 226–227 

labeling with 296 

MIF files 489 

placing graphic information in 100 

spatial index 132 

combining objects 

creating territories 286 

multipoint and collection 288 

overview 281 

set target 281

comparison operators 434 

concentric ring buffers 

accessing tool 276 

conflict resolution 147–148, 493 

conic projections, about 386, 466 

control points 

defined 493 

raster image registration 328 

converting 

objects into polyline objects 165 

convex hull 

buffers 277 

coordinate systems 

converting from one datum to another 385 

creating 392 

defined 494 

elements of 393 

enhancements by product version 472 

enhancements by version 467 

entering a new projection for 391 

origin point 386, 465 

parameters of 381 

projection types 454–455 

projections 381–384 

specifying the bounds in 383 

using a new projection in 391 

coordinates 

defined 494 

determining map 325 

displaying 375 

geocoding 353 

raster image control points 328 

specifying in non-earth maps 396 

tile servers 414 

cosmetic layer 

about 60 

Create Catalog Record 

Table List menu option 50 

Create Table statement 475 

creating 

a MapInfo_MapCatalog 475 

a table, using subset of a file 203 

layouts 310–311, 313 

reports 106 

tables 100 

creating expressions 199–200 

constructing 430 

numerical comparison 434 

operator precedence 439 

operators 435 

using Expression dialog 198–200 

using Select command 199 

creating points 

displaying points a map 367 

displaying points on a map 367 

for intersections 366 

placing longitude/latitude coordinates 365 

vs. geocoding 336 

creating territories 

combining objects 287 

see also redistricting 

cropping images 88 

Crystal Reports 

creating reports 106 

CSV, opening comma delimited files 339 

custom symbols 167 

creating 168 


D 

data 

file import formats supported 35 

data aggregation 

defined 494 

SQL Select command 219–220 

data disaggregation 

defined 494 

data map with MapInfo tables 422 

data sources 

connecting to 135 

defined 494 

databases 

defined 494 

defining terminology in 69 

date 

comparison 435 

DateTime feature 

adding data types to existing data 210 

converting to a new data type 211 

creating a _ column from two columns 212 

creating thematic maps using 214 

interpreting Access data 217 

interpreting dBase data 217 

interpreting Excel data 216 

understanding 209 

using arithmetic operators with 215 

using comparison operators with 216 

using logical operators with 216 

using the new data type for 209 

datum projection parameter 456–464 

datums 

mapinfow.prj id numbers 385 

Dbase files 


opening 73 

DBMS

dDrivers 130 

DBMS tables 

conflict resolution 147–148 

connecting to a data source 135 

creating 143 

disconnecting from database 149 

linked 129 

linked tables 130 

live remote access 131 

mapinfo_mapcatalog 475 

opening 75, 141–142, 156 

per-row styles 130, 149 

requirements 129 

saving 147 

spatial index columns 132 

storing and retrieving spatial objects 131 

storing coordinate values 132 

symbol styles in mappable tables 150 

unlinking 371 

DBMS Toolbar 39 

decimal degrees 

defined 494 

default, defined 494 

degrees latitude defined 495 

degrees longitude defined 495 

deleting 

nodes 160 

tables 103 

derived columns 

defined 495 

described 206 

using 218 

digitizer 

defined 495 

digitizing 

raster images 331 

tablet 495 

disaggregating data 

data disaggregation defined 494 

with set target model 280 

distance calculations 


districts 

grouping map objects into 425 

ordering and grid display 281 

districts browser 

defined 495 

using 427 

DMS 494 

documentation set 18 

dot density maps 

defined 495 


dot shapeand size 242 

dot style options 242 

template 246 

thematic 241 

drawing objects on a map 

commands 158 


styles 162 

symbols 165 

types of shapes 162 

using ruler window 161 

Drawing toolbar 39 

defined 495 

region style button 40 

drivetime web service 410 

driving regions 

creating buffers for objects 412 


E 

Earth maps 395 

ECW raster handler 

(*.ecw) raster format 91, 327 

edit handles, defined 495 

editing 

graphs 114, 116–118 

labels 303 

mapinfow.prj file 389–392 

read-only tables 60 

table structure 103 

editing objects 

attributes 175 

autotracing 179 

commands 158 

creating territories by combining 285 

deleting 170 


object conversion 181 

object offset 171 

positioning and sizing 171 

procedure 170 

reshaping 176–177 

rotating 173–175 

set target model 280 

smoothing/unsmoothing polylines 180 

snap mode 179 

splitting 284 

embedded maps 

sharing documents 422 

embedding 

OLE objects 421 

EMF Files, generating for printing 319 

encapsulated postscript (*.eps) files 321

Enhanced Metafile Format (*.emf) files 91, 327 


for printing 319 

generating 319 

Envinsa Online Services (EOLS) 413 

Envinsa, geocoding web service 407 

equal count range type 235 

equal range type 236 

ESRI ArcInfo Export 


ESRI ArcSDE 


ESRI grid files 328 

ESRI Personal Geodatabase 


ESRI shapefiles 

opening 340 

Excel files 

creating tab files from 337 

opening 73 

exiting MapInfo Professional 35 

exporting files 

export defined 495 

GeoTIFF format 84 

layouts 320 

supported file formats 87 

supported formats 87 

to comma delimited (csv format) 339 

translucent images 333 

expressions 

character strings in 431 

creating 198–200, 430 

date values in 432 

defined 495 

entering specific values (constants) 431 

labeling with 296 

numbers in 432 


operators 435 

where you can use them 429 

F 

false easting parameter 466 


false northing parameter 466 


fields, defined 496 

file formats 

MapInfo Professional supported 70–71, 336 


supported export 87 

supported types 35 

files 

defined 496 

opening 73 

fill patterns 

defined 496 

printing 162 

region styles dialog 290 

find 

an object or street address 194 

find selection in one window or all windows 368 

fonts 

defined 496 

Frame tool button 312 

frames 

drawing in layouts 313 

Layout window 307, 312, 315 


G 

GEN files 


General tab 144 

generalization, defined 496 

geocoded points 

displaying on a map 363, 367 

street inset and offset 359 

geocoding 

a single address using a server 408 

appropriate map detail 354 

assigning coordinates to records 353 

defined 496 

geographic accuracy 354 

precision 357 

process overview 355 

result codes 408 

selecting ungeocoded records 362 

ungeocoding 364 

vs. creating points 336 

geocoding, matching 

address numbers 360 

finding exact street matches 358 

street names 360 

to regions 361 

geographic 

operators 436 

Geographic Information System, defined 496 

GeoRegistered PDF 

defined 496 

GeoTIFF 

export requirements 84 

exporting 84 

Get Info command 175 

GIF files

aster format 91, 327 

web map service, format 401 

GML files, importing 344 

GML2 data 

web feature service 

client 403 

graduated symbol maps 

customizing 240 

defined 496 


template 246 

Graph Select tool 124 

Graph windows 

defined 496 

saving as a template file 126 

graphs 

axis attributes 116 

creating 112–113 

editing 114, 116–119 

exploding a pie 119–120 

general options 116 

saving 125 

selections 124 

specifying titles 117 

support file location 126 

using 3D graphs 121–123 

using series 118 

using templates 125–126 

graticule, defined 496 

grid 

template 246 

grid image files 

using 265 

grid layers 

opening 77 

using layer control with 64 

grid surface maps 

adjusting translucency 65 

defined 497 

uses 265 

vertical mapper grid handler 267 

grid thematic maps 

direct support 90 

grouping by columns 

creating subtotals 208 

H 

heads-up digitizing, defined 497 

Help button bar, defined 497 

help system 

using 20 

histogram graphs 111 

hot views, defined 497 

Hotine Oblique Mercator projection 386 

Oblique Azimuth 466 


I 

importing files 

graphic files 343 

import defined 497 

parsing data across multiple columns 97 

types supported 35 

web map service data 353 

index files 73 

individual values maps 

defined 497 

saving categories in templates 254 

template 246 

thematic 243 

inflection 

ranged thematic maps 260 

Info tool 

changing a record’s data, font, and style 81 

seamless layers 68 

using 61 

interactive 

labeling 303 

interleaved line styles 

editing 162 

styles 291 

inverting selections 192, 223 

IsoChrone, defined 497 

IsoDistance, defined 498 

J 

joining tables 

geographically using geographic operators 223 

join, defined 498 

order of clauses 222 

through thematic mapping 232 

two or more tables 225 

using SQL select 221 

joins 95 

geographic and descriptive 95 

JPEG 2000 format (*.jp2) files 



JPEG file interchange format (*.jpg) 



L 

label style 

controlling display 299

customized 297 

design 295 

size 59 

styles 302 

labels 

automatic 297, 299, 301–302 

callout lines 301 

content 295 

editing 303 

interactive 303 

label tool button 304 

map 294 

position 58 

saving 296, 304 

using column information 296 

using text objects 304 

with expressions 296 

Lambert Azimuthal Projection Map example 380 

latitude, defined 498 

Layer Control command 

adding a layer to a map 56 

ordering thematic layers 63 

raster and grid layers 64 


selectable layers 62 

selecting objects in a layer 62 

thematic layers 62 

zoom layering 57 

Layer Control dialog box, about 51 

layers 

adding a tile server to map 416 

adding Bing Aerial/Hybrid tile to map 417 

adding to a map 56 

characteristics of seamless 68 

creating buffer 273 

defined 43 

displaying layer of current selection 19 

displaying object attributes 59 

making layers selectable 62 

objects in 44 

opening seamless 67 

reordering using layer control 56 

saving thematic map 254 

seamless 67 

selecting for cartographic legends 318 

selecting objects in 62 

thematic 233–234 

with Info tool 61 

working with thematic 62 

Layout Window 

selecting an object from 187 

Layout window 

adding a logo to 326 

adding a maximized window to 307 

aligning objects in 307, 315 

browser display in 80 

changing a map’s border and proportions in 251 

creating 311 

creating multiple map views 309 

defined 498 

exporting 320 

frames 312 

map scale 316 

opening maps in 82 

ordering overlapping objects 308 

page layout 306 

printing 318 

text size in 371 

using legends 314 

with labels 310 

zoom level 307 

legend frames 

defined 498 

Legend Window button 498 

Legend windows 

alignment of 264 

cartographic 261 

creating 260 

creating for live tables 154 

defined 498 

thematic 264 

using in layouts 314 

legends 

deleting a frame from 218 

thematic maps 250, 262 

line direction 59 

line graphs 111 

line objects 498 

line styles 291 

change styles tool button 158 

editing 291 

interleaved 162 


conflict resolution 147 

defined 499 

using 130 

live access tables 130 

logical 

operators 200 

logical operators 437 

logos, adding to a layout 326 

longitude, defined 499 

longitude/latitude coordinates 

creating points on a map 365 

longitude/latitude, defined 499 

Longitude/Latitude Projection, map example 377 


Lotus 1-2-3 tables 


M 

Main toolbar 37 

defined 499 

map 

adornment 305 

map layers 

adding 56 

characteristics of seamless 68 

displaying object attributes 59 


objects in 44 

opening seamless 67 

reordering using layer control 56 

selecting objects in 62 

using Layer Control 44 

with Info tool 61 

working with thematic 62 

map scale 251 

defined 499 

displaying in status bar 19 

in Layout windows 316 

map scale, defined 500 

map segment, defined 499 

Map windows 

defined 500 

navigating in 78 

opening tables in 78 

printing 369 

MapBasic language 

defined 499 

MapBasic programs 

running using a startup workspace 442 

MapBasic window 

accessing 441 

MapCatalog 

creating 132 

manually creating 474 

table per row styles, structure of 149 

tables with Z and M values 143 

updating data bounds 133 

MapInfo Developer tile server 415 

MapInfo Interchange Format (*.mif) files 

charset clause, summary 486 

columns 489 

CoordSys clause 487–488 

header version information 480 

transform clause 488 

MapInfo Map 

commands 421 

limitations 421 

system requirements 420 

MapInfo Map objects 

sharing 422 

MapInfo places, Open dialog box 76 


documentation set 18 

exiting 35 

features 17 

new features and enhancements 22 

new featuresand enhancements 23 

purpose 16 

starting 35 

supported file formats 70–71 

technical support 20–21 

understanding the files associated with 72 

window types 77 

Windows compatibility 17 

working with coordinate systems 375 

working with coordinate systems/projections 

374 

MapInfo tables 

creating 100 

editing structure 103 

with data map 422 

MapInfo_MapCatalog 

creating 475 

spatial index types 133 

updating data bounds 133 

mapinfow.prj file 

datum ID numbers 456–464 

datum id numbers 385 

editing 389–392 

projection ID numbers 382–383, 454–455 

unit ID numbers 386, 464–465 

MapMarker geocoding web service 407 

maps 

determining coordinates 325 

earth and non-earth 395 

inverting a selection 223 

making labels call-outs 196 

opening in Layout windows 82 

printing 369 

saving a clipped region 125 

selecting an object from 187 

specifying coordinates for non-earth 396 

specifying projection of 396 

text size in 372 

thematic types 234 

MapXtreme.NET tile server 415 

Marquee Select tool button 190 

Mastermap Topography Layer 350 

menu 


shortcuts 445 

menu shortcuts 446–448 

meridian, defined 500 

metadata 

cartographic legends 318 


Microsoft Access tables 

opening 73 

Microsoft Bing Aerial tile server 26, 417 

Microsoft Bing Hybrid tile server 26, 417 

Microsoft Data Map 

with MapInfo tables 422 

Microsoft Windows compatibility 17 

Microstation Design 


Military Grid Reference System 

defined 500 

minimum bounding rectangle 

MBR, defined 500 

modifying 

graph axis attributes 116 

raster image control points 331 

thematic maps 252 

moving 

graph objects 114 

MrSID Raster Handler 


multipoint objects 

grouping objects using 288 

N 

native projections, defined 500 

natural break 

range type 236 

new features and enhancements 22–23 

NITF Format (*.ntf) files 


nodes 

add node tool button 158 

defined 500 

deleting 160 

displaying 59 

maximum number of 176 

moving duplicate 179 

reshape mode 176 

selecting multiple 176 

selecting using snap mode 177 

using Overlay Nodes command 159 

non-earth maps 

defined 500 

specifying coordinates of 396 

using 395 

NTF files raster format 91, 327 


O 

object linking and embedding (OLE) 

registering objects with containers 420 

objects 

adding objects to search within polygon 190 

clear target 283 

converting to polyline objects 165 

converting to region objects 64, 260 

deselecting 188 

drawing 162 

finding 194 

finding selected 195 

object size 279 

overview of combining 281 

proportioning associated data after split 284 

selecting from a layout or map 187 

selecting with tool buttons 188 

selecting, using selectable layers 62 

specifying _ geographic attributes 160 

splitting polyline at node 164 

objects, editing 

attributes 175 

autotracing 179 

combining with set target 281 

creating territories by combining 285 

deleting 170 


object conversion 181 

object offset 171 

positioning and sizing 171 

procedure 170 

reshaping 176–177 

rotating 171, 173–175 

set target model 280 

smoothing/unsmoothing polylines 180 

snap mode 179 

splitting 284 

styles 162 

Oblique Azimuth projection parameter 466 


ODBC connections 

data sources 135 

ODBC drivers 

defined 500 

ODBC tables 

defined 500 

offsetting map objects 171 

OGC 

GML2 data 403 

web map service 399

opening 

an existing report 107 

ASCII files (.txt) 73 

data files 73 

dbase (.dbf) files 73 

ESRI shapefiles 340 

Excel (.xls, .xlsx) files 73 

file formats supported 70–71 

grid layers 77 

MapInfo Professional grid files 343 

maps in Layout windows 82 


remote tables 75 

tables 73 

tables in Browser windows 80 

tables in Map windows 78 

versus importing 86 

operators 

comparison 434 

expressions 200 

geographic 436 

logical 437 


string 433 

string comparison 435 

Oracle 

converting unsupported geometries 150 

geometry conversion behavior 150 

object map verification to support validation 154 

Oracle Spatial 153–154 

origin projection parameter 465 

outer joins 

defined 501 

overview of combining map objects 281 

P 

packing a table 104, 297, 501 

page layout 

Layout windows 306 

page setup 


preparing to print 368 

parameters, projections 388 

*.pcx files 


per-row styles 130 

Photoshop 3.0 (*.psd) files 



pie chart maps 238 

template 246 

pie charts 

exploding 119–120 

graph type 111 

pin map, defined 501 

pixel 

defined 501 

PNG files 


point objects 

defined 501 

point size, defined 501 

pointer, defined 501 

points 

creating for intersections 366 

creating from coordinates 365 

dispersing 365 

displaying geocoded 363 

Polyconic projection 388, 467 

map example 379 

polygon objects 

creating Voronoi 287 

defined 501 

drawing 162 

drawing orthogonal 163 

tracing 164 

polygon overlay, defined 502 

Polygon Select tool button 191 

polyline objects 

converting regions to 181 

converting to regions 164 

defined 502 

drawing 162 

node limits 176 

smoothing and unsmoothing 180 

splitting at node 164 

splitting map objects using 284 

tracing 164 

population density 

computing with SQL select 206 

Portable Network Graphics Format (*.png) files 

91, 327 


preferences 

directories 217 

graph support files location 126 

Printer preferences 

storing information in workspaces 43 

printing 

fill patterns 162 


map windows 369 

page setup 368 

text 371 



troubleshooting 372 

prism maps 

viewing a previous prism map 371 

projections 

additional resources 472 

creating mapinfow.prj file 389 

datums 385, 456–464 

defined 502 

examples of mapinfow.prj entries 388 

mapinfow.prj ID numbers 454–455 

origin point 386, 465 

parameters 452, 454–467 


resources 381 

types mapinfow.prj ID numbers 382–383 

units 386 

Proportion Weighted Average function 

Update Column command 105 

PSD files 


push-pin map, defined 501 

Q 

quantile range type 237 

queries 

bound objects in spatial 154 

collecting and deriving data 193 

creating using SQL Select command 197 

displaying results in Map window 195 

entering specific values 431 

saving as query tables 208 

saving in workspaces 209 

Select command 194, 201 

using templates 217 

using the Select command 196 

query tables 

defined 502 

saving 208 

query templates 217 

R 

Radius Select tool button 190 

radius, calculating buffer 274 

range parameter 


range projection parameter 466 

ranged maps 

defined 235 

template 245 

types 235 

raster format 

Arc Grid format 328 

ECW format handler 91, 327 

emf files, (*.emf) 91, 327 

save window as to support more formats 321 

raster images 

adjusting the contrast or brightness of 333 

adjusting translucency 333 

color options 331–332 

data limitations in 333 

defined 502 

displaying multiple images 331 

modifying control points 331 

opening 328 

placing a logo on a page layout 326 

projection limitations 333 

registering 325, 328 

style override 332 

support for 71 

supported file formats 327 

transferring vector coordinates to 330 


what are 325 

what is registering 325 

zoom layering 332 

read-only tables 

making editable 60 

record, defined 502 

redistricting 

defined 502 

definition and purpose 425 

district styles 428 

grouping map objects into districts 425 

records with no graphic objects 428 

region objects 

converting polylines to 164 

defined 503 

geocoding matches 361 

node limits 176 

region styles 290 

change styles tool button 158 

regions 

saving a clipped region 125 

registering 

ASCII data 342 

OLE objects with containers 420 

registering a raster image 

control point coordinates 328 

modifying control points 331 

registration, defined 503 

remote database tables 


disconnecting from 149 




live access 131 


opening 75, 141–142, 156 



saving 147 





renaming 

tables 103 

reports 

creating 106 

opening 107 

opening an existing 107 

reshape mode 177 

reshape tool button 158 

reshaping map objects 176 

resizing 


result codes 363 

geocoding 408 


ROP display method 

printing/exporting transparent images 334 

rotating 

3D graphs 122 

map objects 173–175 

objects 171 

rows 

adding to tables 100 

appending to a table 96 

Ruler window 

with drawing tools 161 

S 

S key 177 

saving 

a clipped region of a map 125 

a graph 125 

a graph window as a template file 126 

copies of tables 85 

DBMS tables 147 

graph templates 126 

graphs 125 

labels 304 

MapInfo workspaces 83 

printer information to a workspace 43 

queries 208 


thematic map layers 254 

thematic templates 254 

workspace as an XML-based file 84 

scale 

about map scale 305 

cartographic scale 305 


layout windows 316 

scale bar 

adding to map 305 

defined 503 

scale factor 

parameter, coordinate systems 387 

Transverse Mercator 387 

scale factor parameter 466 

scanning, defined 504 

scatter graphs 112 

scroll bars 

defined 504 

seamless map layers 65 

available features 68 

info tool 68 

opening 67 

turning on and off 66–67 

searching 

adding objects to a selection set 190 

Select tool button 188 

selecting by querying 

aggregating data 219 

calculating distance to a fixed point 228 

expressions 198–200 

finding duplicate values in a column 226–227 

joining tables 221–222 


saving queries 208 

Select command 201 

SQL Select command 186, 204 

SQL Select examples 206 

ungeocoded records 362 

where condition 223 

selecting from the screen 

a single object from a map or layout 187 


in browser windows 106 


multiple nodes 176 

selectable layers 186 

tool buttons 188 

selection tools 


selections 

cancelling 192 

defined 184 

in graphed tables 124 


inverting 192 

Send to Back command 308 

server authentication 

web services 398 

servers 

web feature service 404, 406 

shapefiles 

opening 340 

shortcuts 445–448 

SID files 


smoothing polylines 180 

snap 

selecting nodes and centroids 177 

snap and thin settings 

saved in metadata 178 

snap radius, display preference 178 

snap to nodes 177 

defined 504 

snap tolerance 

map window preference 178 

spatial analysis, defined 504 


spatial index types 133 

spatial objects 

storing and retrieving requirements 131 

spatial queries 

bound objects 154 

Spatial tab 145 

SpatialWare 

bound objects in spatial queries 154 

live access limitations in v. 4.6 131 

specifying 

a map projection 396 

bounds of coordinate systems 383 

coordinates for a non-earth map 396 

spherical calculations 


spherical coordinates, defined 504 

splitting objects 284 

SPOT image files 


SQL queries 

defined 505 

SQL Select command 

calculating distance to a fixed point 228 

finding duplicate values in a column 226–227 

formulating queries 197 

joining tables 221–222 

population density 206 

selecting by querying 204 


SQL Server 

converting unsupported geometries 150 

geometry conversion 151 

SSL protocol 399 

stacked styles 

defined 505 

standard deviation 

defined 505 

ranged thematic maps 237 

standard parallels parameter 466 


Standard toolbar 36 

starting MapInfo Professional 35 

Statistics button, defined 505 

Statistics window, defined 505 

status bar 

defined 505 

using 19 

street 

finding exact matches 358 

geocoding precision 356 

inset, placing geocoded points 359 

names, geocoding matches 360 

numbers, matching to address range 360 

street address, finding 194 

string comparison operators 435 

string operators 433 

Structured Query Language (SQL), defined 505 

styles 

changing symbol 166 


districts 428 

drawn objects 162 

interleaved line 162 

labels 302 

line 291 

overriding for raster and grid images 332 

region 290 

symbol 292–293 

text 294 

using per row 149 

Styles tab 145 

subselect, defined 505 

support 

technical support 20–21 

supported file formats 

opening files in MapInfo Professional 336 


surface graphs 112 

Symbol button, defined 505 

Symbol Style button, defined 506 

symbol styles 293 

changing 166, 292 

mappable DBMS tables 150 


style change tool button 159 

symbols 

custom 167 

defined 505 

drawing 165 

supported fonts 167 

system requirements 

MapInfo Map application 420 

Oracle Spatial 153 

T 

Table List 

button descriptions 47 

docking 47 

drag and drop 50 

menu options 48 

searching 51 

selecting records 50 

sorting 50 

working with 45 

table row, defined 506 

tables 

adding new temporary columns 259 

appending one table to another 97 

associated files 72 

closing 86 

creating 100 

creating a new DBMS _ 143 

creating using Combine Objects Using Column 

command 102 

creating, using subset of a file 203 

defined 506 

inverting a selection 223 

renaming 42 

table list window 350 

ungeocoding 363 

unlinking a dbms table 371 

variables 273 

tables, managing 

browsing 105 

deleting 103 

exporting 495 

importing 497 

indices 73 

making read-only tables editable 60 

packing 104 

renaming 103 

setting preferred view 75 

updating 95 

tables, modifying 

adding rows 100 


appending rows to 96 

collecting data using update column 104 

editing structure 103 

joining 221, 232 

parsing data to multiple columns 97 

tables, opening 

in browser windows 80 

procedure for 73 

setting preferred view options 75 

tables, remote database 




live access 131 


opening 75, 141–142, 156 



saving 147 





tables, structure 49 

Tagged Image file format (*.tif) files 92, 327 


Targa (*.tga) files 


target district 

defined 506 

technical support 

obtaining 20–21 

offerings 21 

templates 

deleting 218 

graph 125–126 

renaming 218 

samples 252 

saving thematic 254 

temporary tables. See selecting by querying, 

selections 

territories, creating by combining objects 287 

text 

viewing and printing 371 

text cursor defintion 506 

text objects 

using text in maps 169 

with labels 304 

Text Style button 506 

text styles 159, 294 

Text tool 

entering text using 431 

*.tga files 


aster format 92 

TGA files, raster format 327 

thematic layers 

setting order using layer control 63 

using with layer control 62 

thematic maps 

as layers 250 

defined 506 

expressions with 231 

grid surface 265 

inflection points 260 

joining tables in 232 

layers 233–234, 506 

modifying 252 

multi-variable 248 

obtaining data 232 

one-variable 247 

saving 253 

shading 506 

step 1 choosing a template type 245 

step 2 choosing thematic values 247 

step 3 customizing 248 

thematic mapping defined 230 

types of 234 

using Update Column command 255 

variables 506 

theme legends 

defined 507 

in layouts 314 

theme templates 

saving 254 

thin, settings saved in metadata 178 

TIF files 

raster format 327 

TIF files, raster format 92 

TIFF files 

(CMYK files) export format 87 


Tile Server, defined 507 

tile servers 

about 414 

authentication 415 

setting up 415 

Time feature 

adding data types to existing data 210 

converting to a new data type 211 

creating a datetime column from two separate 

columns 212 

creating thematic maps using 214 

interpreting Access data 217 

interpreting dBase data 217 

interpreting Excel data 216 


using arithmetic operators with 215 

using comparison operators with 216 

using logical operators with 216 

using the new data type for 209 

Tool Manager 

listing of tools 89 

toolbars 507 

DBMS toolbar, buttons on 39 

drawing toolbar buttons 39 

hide/display 36 

main toolbar buttons 37 

removing 36 

reshaping 36 

standard toolbar buttons 36 

web services 398 

tools 

split polyline at node 164 

text 431 

Topography layer 350 

tracing polylines and polygons 164 

transformation, defined 507 

translucent images 

printing and exporting 333 

transparent images 

rop display method 334 

Transverse Mercator projection 

example 378 

scale factor 387, 466 


U 

ungeocoding 

tables 363 

ungecode, defined 507 

United States National Grid, defined 507 

units 

mapinfow.prj ID numbers 386 

projection parameter 464 

units projection parameter 465 

universal data 

opening 345 

working with FME Suite 349 

Universal Translator utility 

file types supported 35 

Unselect All button 188 

Unselect All tool 188 

unsmoothing polylines 180 

Update Column command 


parsing data to multiple columns 97 

placing graphic information in columns 100 

updating tables 95 

using aggregate functions 104

using proportion weighted average 105 

with thematic mapping 232 

US_ZIPS.TAB, geocoding to postal code 

centroids 357 

USGS Spatial Data Transfer Standard 


USNG, defined 507 

UTM projection map example 380 

V 

Value Axis options 

using 109 

vector image, defined 507 

vector maps 

transferring coordinates to raster 330 

Vertical Mapper Grid Handler 267 

View Catalog Record option 

Table List 49 

voronoi polygons 287 

VPF NIMA/NGA Data 


W 

web feature service 

defined 508 

retrieving coordinate data 403 

server authentication 398 

server requirements 404, 406 

web map service 

defined 508 

error messages 401–403 

importing files 353 

layers, default projection 400 

obtaining raster map images from servers 399 

server authentication 398 

supported image formats 401 

web services 

accessing 398 

geocoding 407 

types 398 

weighted average 

defined 508 


wildcard 

characters 200 

window, defined 508 

Windows Bitmap (*.bmp) files, raster format 91, 

327 

Windows Metafile format (*.wmf) files 92, 327 



workspaces 

defined 508 

opening 42 

thematic maps 253 

using 43 

with renamed tables 42 

workspaces, saving 

as .mws file (xml-based) 84 

as xml-based file 84 

printer information in 43 

queries to 209 


Z 

zoom layering 

defined 508 

raster layers 332 

specifying in layer control 57 

zoom level 



Zsoft Paintbrush (*.pcx ) files 

raster format 91, 327

MapInfo Professional User Guide - Product Documentation - MapInfo

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